The pros of going from macro manager to micro manager.

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Being a macro manager means two things. One, I expect you to be as accountable as I am. Two, you must be able to read my mind,
or have a photographic memory. I consider myself a hands-off manager; just ask my sales team. I want the role to come as naturally
to you as it did for me.
The long and the short of management is that it isn’t one size fits all. In fact, the best managers and leaders I know can adapt their
style to each team member. To me the thought of being micro causes me to break out in a rash or opt for a hot stick to the eye…until
now. Recently I tried micro, and I liked it. In fact, I found that many successful managers are micro in their leadership to various
extremes, and it does exist in the arsenal of all great leaders.
Here’s how I put my micro management style into action with my sales team and lived to tell about it.
1. Take short and deep dives into activity, strategy, and technique. Before you guess where your team needs more help from a
management standpoint, take a look at the data and metrics available. Is there an issue that can be solved by tighter planning with a
solid prospect list? Do you need to help your employee create healthy habits (i.e. call blocks, eliminating distractions)? Is it as simple
as some active role play to help them tighten their technique, close the gaps?
2. Stop and Listen. Listen to their calls and their interaction with clients. We all need immediate coaching and feedback related to
improved communication. Use this as an opportunity to auto-correct bad habits and praise the attempts at good ones. Parenting 101:
Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative. My team appreciates immediate feedback and they are applying the coaching I share
with their peers to their own process... people are listening!
3. Help your team recognize why they win. Connect with ten people? That’s a win. Help them recognize it’s the process, the plan
and the execution that produces a win. The closed sale is really just the end result. It’s NOT the win. Cement this new, winning
behavior by meeting each week to talk about their success. Listening to them share their wins builds their recognition of why they win.
4. Applaud. Applaud. Applaud. Believe it or not, this is the hardest part for me, because I personally don’t need the praise and I am
not a natural cheerleader. However, research says we must offer regular praise. This is where I have to adjust to meet the needs of
my team. Everyone benefits from a pat on the back, a spontaneous note, recognition in a meeting or a thoughtful gift on their desk.
Determine your style and stick with it. This small act produces some of the greatest and longest lasting results.
If you made it this far and feel like it all seems daunting, I'm with you. I thought so too, until I started building micromanagement in to
my arsenal. I stick to allotted time for coaching, training and mentoring. I hold my team accountable to their side of the preparation. I
give my energy to those who are benefiting and value the feedback. I pull back from those who don’t. We celebrate when they are no
longer in need of my micro focus. I secretly celebrate my return to my macro management style for a while. And we all get on with the
business of winning.
How I Went From Macro Manager to Micro Manager and Lived to Tell About It
by
Rebecca Dappen
Managing Partner – Accounting and Finance Division