How to Handle A Micro-Manager in Any Work Environment

From an employee perspective on when to go to human resources

I started out my career working in the hotel industry, where there was a clear set of rules as to who to report to. If you had an issue with your manager, or what they told you, then you went to their manager (“chain of command”). It was more like a military framework or a supervisor and subordinate hierarchy model.

Your manager and your manager’s manager (and higher ups) usually had more experience than you. If you and your manager did not get along, you had to learn how to upwardly manage. You learned how good management in action can go well, and by default, how bad management does not.

Management is so different in different work environments and in today’s world. Management is complex and your manager can be less experienced (and younger) than you. Your manager can be in a different remote location than you, changing the office dynamics.

When I went to work in the technology industry, managers had many cross-functional “dotted lines” to other manager. Lines were blurred. Reporting to a manager was more like having someone to “sign off” your time sheets and day-to-day responsibilities.

This cross-functional manager’s role was to manage a work function and area, and not so much serve a…