Managers who are accused (usually without their knowledge) of micromanaging don’t see it that way at all. They are managing, that’s it.

In his book Creating Passion-Driven Teams, Dan Bobinski noted that micromanagers do share certain characteristics, and they can do a lot of harm, even as they think they are doing a great job. 

Bobinski maintains that there are certain clear symptoms that can be observed in those who are micromanaging.

• They appear frustrated that nobody is “getting it” or taking things as seriously as they do.
• They want frequent status updates, even when things are operating normally.
• They are quick to point out errors and mistakes of team members.
• They have an overloaded task list, but their teams are looking for things to do.
• They get upset if they’re not consulted before decisions are made.
• They’ll take back delegated tasks to do them quicker or better themselves.

In addition, micromanagement might be the correct diagnosis when some or all of the following are observed on a team:

• A team experiences high turnover.
• Team members feel nothing they do is ever good enough.
• Team members are required to “check with the boss” before making any decision.
• Team members no longer take the initiative.
• Team members are responsible for results but have little or no input on how to achieve them.