Examples of micromanagement
Jack works for a marketing agency and takes directions from Sarah, who oversees his department. A big project is underway so Sarah delegates various tasks for Jack to complete. However, in the three weeks leading up to the project’s due date, Sarah is constantly checking in on Jack, changing his work, driving him to stay late, and nit-picking the choices he has made.
Jack begins to feel suffocated by her attention to detail and inability to let go of the tasks she's handed over to him. He feels she doesn't trust his work and starts asking Sarah for permission for any decisions he must make on the project. When the due date rolls around, Jack is burnt out and has begun to doubt his ability to produce good work.
In this situation Sarah is micromanaging Jack, causing negative effects that can greatly reduce the employees’ ability to work independently. She cannot give up control or trust in her employees to get the job done right, creating double the workload. As a result, Sarah is pulled in all directions, Jack’s work is losing quality, and they are both suffering for it.