Whether your manager is instituting an Elon Musk-style return-to-office mandate, or just constantly stalking your availability status on Microsoft Teams, when you feel like you aren’t in control of your day (or career) it’s maddening, especially for high performers.
If you’ve diligently proven your value to your team and organization, you should have a level of mutual trust with your manager. Yet, too often, the micro-managers among us erode the morale of their teams by over-indexing on control.
Working for one of these managers will quickly zap your enthusiasm. It’s unlikely you can do a 180 on someone’s entire personality overnight (bummer). So here are four tips to help you stay sane:
Set (frequent) check-ins. Is your manager constantly blowing up your phone? Having a designated time to check in can help fend of unwarranted interruptions. Even if this check-in is more frequent than you’d like (for example, daily), a standing meeting gives your manager a place to land. When they know they’re talking to you soon, they’re more likely to save their questions and comments.