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Helicopter Management Won’t Solve Productivity Problems

Published Fri Dec 23 2022

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Micromanagement isn’t a new phenomenon, but the practice has evolved significantly in the age of remote work. Helicopter management is fueled by managerial insecurity that teams aren’t as productive in decentralized workplaces, but it actually undermines its intended outcomes. Rather than spurring productivity, managers who constantly “check in” on their employees erode resilience and sow resentment. According to a recent study, more than a fifth of remote workers believe that their supervisor is constantly evaluating their work, and one-third said their supervisors expressed a lack of confidence in their work skills. This, however, isn’t necessarily caused by employee shortcomings. The same study revealed that 38 percent of managers think their employees aren’t as productive at home as they are in the office—despite data showing otherwise—and 40 percent had low confidence in their abilities to manage a remote team. If you’re a manager who frets over the productivity of your remote employees, evaluate yourself as well to understand where the anxiety is coming from rather than turning to helicopter mode.

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