You and your manager
What to say to a micromanaging boss
“I’d like you to feel confident about where this is. What would help you check in less often?”
It treats the checking as a need for reassurance, and offers a better way to give it, so you both end up with less checking.
What is happening
Every piece of work gets checked, sometimes more than once. Asking them to back off sounds like you have something to hide. Offering a better way to stay informed gives them the reassurance they are looking for.
Offer something specific, such as a short update on Fridays, so the conversation ends with an agreement.
If they push back
They may say the detail is how they work. They might say:
“I just like to stay close to the detail.”
Respect that, and make your offer concrete:
“That makes sense. Would a short written update every Friday give you what you need?”
The part this page cannot settle
There are two other ways to say this, one softer and one firmer. Which one fits depends on how new you are, how the checking started, and how much it is slowing the work down. Choosing well is most of the work.
The Complete Lines has all three for this moment and for every other one, sorted by what is happening to you. If you have a meeting about it coming up, the first page helps you work out what to say before you walk in, and it is free.