Micromanaging a Creative
Micromanaging is defined as “to manage with great or excessive control, or attention to details.”
Have you ever been micromanaged in a creative position?
It happens more often than we think or actually talk about. One day I did a poll on twitter asking a simple yes or no & out of 20 people that answered, 19 said yes. I realized it wasn’t really a topic that is discussed often so I wanted to get some opinions on this. I asked two designers these questions to get their opinions on this and appreciate them taking the time to sit down and dive into this touchy subject.
Some questions to think about…
How do you deal with it if your daily job is being affected? Would you leave if you were so unhappy because your boss was managing every little detail that you couldn’t even think for yourself? Do you feel like your not trusted? Have you brought it up with your boss? Maybe they don’t realize they are doing it?
Take a read through their Q&A and let me know your thoughts on being micromanaged.
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Selene M. Bowlby
Owner / Web Designer – iDesign Studios
Selene M. Bowlby is a web designer and front-end web developer with over ten years of professional experience in the design industry. She is the owner of iDesign Studios, a web design and development company specializing in creating custom web sites that are uniquely styled and well coded. Selene blogs on topics relating to web design, freelancing, productivity, work-life balance and more.
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What does the term “Micromanage” mean to you?
Basically when someone (typically a boss – sometimes a client) tries to tell you how to do your job. Of course you expect your boss to tell you what to do, but the term “micromanage” comes in whey they want to direct many of the specific details of your job.
Have you ever held a job as a creative where your boss what a “MicroManager”?
I wouldn’t say I had it too bad – I’ve heard horror stories of micromanagers! But yes, I have felt micromanaged at times at previous jobs.
What part of your daily job did they micromanage you?
For the most part it would be in relation to scheduling.
I’ve got a certain work-flow that I like to follow through with. I like to start my day by checking a list of current projects, combined with going through new emails sent by clients overnight. Depending on what needs to be done in a given day, I’ll either dedicate the first few hours of the morning to completing all of the “quick” client jobs that I can scratch off of my to do list, then move onto bigger projects. Or if there is a deadline looming, I’ll start the day with a good chunk of time devoted to that specific project in order to finish it
Where the micromanagement comes in is where I’d setup my schedule for the day, but often get thrown this “little” project here or there that would derail my plans for the entire day. One or two “quick” things thrown into the mix often took much more than a few minutes, and would end up pushing the rest of the day’s schedule off track. Sometimes these “little” tasks would end up pushing back an entire week’s schedule, leaving some client deadlines completely ignored.
Not to sound bitter, but I particularly didn’t like when the new tasks thrown my way were “grunt work” so to speak – the type of thing that could easily be done by an intern, leaving me with the more complicated tasks required to finish a particular project
How did you deal with it?
Being an employee, you really have no choice. You just have to do the work and deal with it. If one client’s work gets pushed aside because of something else your boss thinks is more important… well it isn’t my fault, because I’m just doing as told. But it really makes you feel bad when having to tell the client we had to change their deadline.
Ultimately, though, I left that job. It was a combination of things – the micromanagement only being a small aspect of it. I’ve always dreamt of going full time freelance, so that was the biggest drive.
Now that I’m running my own web design business full time, I can’t say enough how much I love having complete control over my schedule. While clients can of course tell you exactly what they need you to do for them, they can’t dictate the finer details of exactly when I work on their web site. They know my typical turn around times for projects and are happy to work with that. Now I just micromanage myself, which is OK with me!
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Calvin Lee
Principal / Mayhem Studios
Calvin Lee is principal & creative director of Mayhem Studios, a small award-winning design firm located in Los Angeles, California, developing identity and brand recognition for the business sector across the nation.
The Studio integrates strategic thinking with creative design to create effective messages targeted to his clients’ specific audiences. Solutions may come in the form of identities, branded collateral pieces, annual reports, brochures, logo design, advertising and interactive web sites.
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What does the term “Micromanage” mean to you?
Micromanage means the person that is managing you doesn’t have enough trust or confidence in your work without hand holding and needing an approval on every decision and step in the design process you make.
Have you ever held a job as a creative where your boss what a “MicroManager”?
Yes, it was on my first job, right out of school, as a Senior Designer. The Art Director was young, 24, impatient and didn’t know how to manage people. He was a cool and fun person outside of work. During work hours, he was horrible. The AD was a great designer but didn’t know how to art direct. He expected everyone to be good and fast as him. He would return every hour to check on our progress. If the designs weren’t looking the way he wanted. He would take the project back from us and design it himself or make so many changes, that it wasn’t our design anymore.
What part of your daily job did they micromanage you?
He would micromanage any creative part of the day when I was actually working on the design samples, which was pretty much the whole day. Having an art director hover and checking up on you really brings your creativity, confidence and productivity way down.
How did you deal with it?
I dreaded working there. I wasn’t dealing with it very well at the time. I would be mentally drained by the end of the day. Eventually, I talked to the owner. After the owner had a chat with the art director. He was like a new person. He actually started to teach and guide us and trusts our design decisions.
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Nice article and insights. I’ve worked for a micromanager and it does feel like you are untrusted and seen as incapable. And I agree that this doesn’t get talked about a lot, but I think people need to realize what they are doing.
Great wrap-up. This is a thought that is not really expressed or talked about to much but I think in the design world it is a pretty big thing. We as designers have our own way of doing thing and if you are micromanaged the whole time outside of what you want to do you have nothing but headache to show from it.
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very cool post. I would have loved to heard more stories, but then maybe it would have all been repetitive. I think you did a great job putting this together.
This is a good topic. To me, the worst kind of micromanaging is when a design-challenged client tries to micromanage every decision about the design! They completely don’t trust your professional opinion and years of experience and dictate to you every little detail of how the design should look, essentially degrading you to a Photoshop monkey that pushes the buttons for them. That’s micromanaging hell, and I’ve had clients like that before.
Only being a student in graphic design, I feel like my teachers are ‘micromanaging’ but I thought it was in the character of education and making me stronger. this really changes how I feel about it now.
Totally agreeing with @benek, I’ve had both clients, bosses or superiors, who like to micro-manage every design decision and play art-director. Most of the time a bit of trust and faith will go a long way.
Other than that, it is disturbing to be asked about the progress of the project at every given opportunity in between the scheduled deadlines. If there’s a significant update, the client/boss will be the first to know, isn’t it?
I think some clients tend to micromanage because they feel the need to be involved in the design process. I think if you can establish the fact that you are the designer (expert) and they are the client, but still make them feel included this might happen less. Its a learning process of educating the client and being educated on how to work with clients.
Good post!
This is an excellent topic. Of course it’s something that I have experienced multiple times. It’s usually been the typical micromanagement where the manager wants constant updates. I can usually deal with that. That’s part of their job. A situation in which I believe can be a challenge for me in the web design field is working with a lead developer/project manager wanting to play designer. In this situation the developer meets with the client concerning functionality and not design. And of course no one, including myself, doesn’t get to meet with the client concerning design, usability, accessibility, etc. Very challenging. Kind of like flying IFR.
Great article, well put together. It is very hard to work under someone who micromanages, but as Selene said when you are an employee you have to deal with it, I have tried to take it with a gain of salt and view it as a challenge, figuring if i could work for the micromanaging soup nazi, then I should be able to deal with difficult clients a bit better as a result of the experience I gain.
This approach sounds ideal… but when you are in the situation it can be very discouraging, and can pretty much dampen your creative abilities/process.
I would say that if it got to bad I would talk Calvin’s approach and talk to someone, or the person themselves and open up communication… and then if it continues to get work… I would move on.
Great Article, and feed back
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Amazing post! I just recently left a job where I was extremely micromanaged. I feel it shunted my creativity and made me dislike working there.
Thanks for featuring me, Adelle!
Calvin’s decision to talk to someone about the micromanaging is definitely a good one. I tend to be (too) un-confrontational, so I just dealt with it in my case, lol. But he definitely made the right decision, and I’m glad to see the art director changed his tune, and actually started teaching. That’s a best case scenario!
I agree with Benek too – it’s really difficult when you have a client try to micromanage every aspect of a project, especially when they don’t have the best eye for design. At least being the designer directly working with a client, you can often explain your professional opinion and try to steer them in the right direction. Of course, it’s ultimately the client’s decision, so sometimes you just have to suck it up and try to work with it as much as possible.
Anyway, great post – thank you again – and I’m enjoying reading everyone’s comments, too!
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Wow what a great post. This is exactly how I’ve felt since I’ve been out of school. Since graduating almost 3 years ago, I’ve worked for the same company and have been micromanaged every step of the way. At first I just thought that this was how it is, but lately I’ve been thinking how wrong I was. Being micromanaged is terrible, especially in a creative field. I don’t feel like I can just sit down, listen to music, and work my magic because every 20 minutes I have to take my headphones off and give an update on what I’m working on. It’s disheartening knowing that after 3 years, and going from a junior designer to now an experienced Intermediate, that there is still no trust. Even when the boss goes away, I have to send daily updates on what I’ve done in the day and how much longer stuff will take!
The problem that I face is that I work in a small studio and the owner is also the creative director and the project manager. It’s not even like I can talk to anyone higher than him to voice my concerns. If I talked to him about it, it wouldn’t do anything, it’s how he is and he’ll never change.
Anyone have any opinion on what I should do in my case?
I’m currently in such a situation, but it’s the company director (there’s no AD here) who micromanages. Projects are always completely redirected by the director into in very specific, microscopic ways which turn we designers into typesetters. It’s very soul killing. If I wanted a mac operator job I would have taken one. Furthermore there’s little direct interaction with the director, so you’re designing essentially for a client you never get to talk to. I’ll be leaving the position soon and micromanaging is reason #1.
This is a great post on a great topic. Personally I can see the annoyances of being micro managed, but for me it’s never been too much of a pain. Generally I’ll have freedom until I present a concept, and then the client will say things like ‘can you make that blue’, ‘can you move that down a bit’, which is totally fine in my opinion.
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It’s good to see how others deal with this subject, which we don’t hear much about. Thanks Adelle for asking me to contribute. You’re the best. :)
When someone is a micromanager, I think it’s more about them than you. They are afraid of something usually. We need to stop taking personal offense at people micromanaging (i.e. “they don’t trust me“). I’m not saying we should allow them to do it, but often times figuring out why people do what they do can reduce the threat we feel from them.
Not to sound dour, but rather to present a different view: sometimes talking simply won’t work. Talking about a problem assumes all parties involved are mature enough to acknowledge the problem and accept a solution. It doesn’t always work that way.
Sean, if I may offer an idea: it’s probably not about you and whether or not you’re trustworthy. If talking to the director doesn’t work, then try looking at yourself. Is there anything you can do in your own way to improve the situation? Attitudes you can change or realities you need to accept? If you’ve done everything in your power and your situation is still the same, perhaps it really is time for a new job.
Sorry to be the resident psychologist. How my boss manages me is something I’ve been dealing with for a while, so I’ve had a long time to think about it! Realizing where she is coming from and understanding her as a person has made her so much less intimidating. We’re always afraid of what we don’t understand. I don’t share these insights about her with anyone, but they help me deal.
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Thanks for the post guys! I very much enjoyed reading their past experiences. I myself have not really been in that position, where I work, the owner really doesn’t have the time to micromanage, and I think that has helped me grow both my confidence and my skills by just doing it myself and making it work.
I am glad to see others experiences as it makes me a better person, knowing not to micromanage people too much when the opportunity comes, but to help guide them if things aren’t seeming like they are going in the right direction. I guess the moral of the story is to help someone grow by guiding them, instead of crushing their creativity and confidence by dictating them.
Good article!
P.S. Calvin is the man
There is definitely a problem with people micromanaging designers. My CEO will come over and get me to move things a few pixels or adding things because they are “intuitive” (which, as a word, as become the joke at the office. Everytime he wants to add something, it’s because it’s “intuitive”!) Here’s a great comic from Dilbert that, hopefully, will give all you micro-managed designers a chuckle: http://www.stupendous-stuff.com/bestdilbert.php
Also, check out Boagworld’s talk on fixing the relationship between clients and designers… It’s something that works best for new relationships, but a few tips in there might be good to work into current soul-destroying relationships… http://www.headscape.co.uk/head/
Great article. I like it when we all whine together! :)
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Unfortunately I’ve been there and have had this experience as well. Mine was a bit unique and extreme though. During this time I was a middle manager for audio/video elearning company and not only was I micro-managed, but I was forced to micro-manage those under me.
Its nice to see how other have dealt with it. For me, I just sat through it and finally ended up with a much BETTER job environment with a new company.
Micromanager are very often people who are insecure, power crazed egotist, that believe that if they can just control a skilled designer’s every move, they will then be able to add your skills to their resume.
They often see your speculativeness as indecisiveness, your questioning of ideas as a need for guidance, and suddenly feel an urge to take charge, start commanding, and effectively override you completely as a person.
What do I do with these kinds of clients? I FIRE THEM. Their money will ever be good enough, and it is nearly certain that the situation is going to end very baddy, while the quality of the work will have never excelled.
This explains it perfectly:
Wikipedia – Micromanagement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micromanagement