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The CEO of my company is a micro manager - how to make it stop?

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Re: The CEO of my company is a micro manager - how to make it stop?

#31

Post by michaelpinto »

j_baker wrote: post #7
michaelpinto wrote: post #5

honestly unless you're a owner it's not your place to critique the management style of the ceo. yes if you disagree with something specific you should speak up, but the reality is that you're a hired hand. also if the ceo managed to scale up to 30 people without any help something tells me that either he's doing something right or has enough money banked to make and learn from his own mistakes. now if you don't like…

also if the ceo managed to scale up to 30 people without any help something tells me that either he's doing something right or has enough money banked to make and learn from his own mistakes. How do you know this business was built by the CEO? It's very frequently the case that this kind of CEO is adding no value and is simply adept at taking credit for their underlings' work.

From the post it sounds like the CEO is the chief funder — so while it's not 100% clear if he was the founder (yes maybe he did purchase the business from a previous owner) he or she has "put their money where their mouth is". Although on the flip side the post doesn't indicate that the CEO isn't the original founder.

But the notion of "taking credit" is sort of at odds with the micromanagement of the employees. Also for a CEO that's also a funder the only real question is making money or not. For example I'm sure even when you had a CEO like Steve Jobs who always thanked his workers, the reality is that most people only know who Steve Jobs is rather than individual team members.

Re: The CEO of my company is a micro manager - how to make it stop?

#33

Post by its_so_on »

toomuchcoffee wrote: post #17
its_so_on wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You and the original poster are completely wrong and misunderstanding the situation. "The CEO founded the 30 person company, and there are no other investors- it's all his money", if true, means that he's not CEO (in the startup sense) at all - he's the owner. "Anyone have any advice on how to tell a CEO with no superiors to let everyone do their jobs?" Their job is to do whatever he wants. If he wants you to hire th…

As long as he's the whole owner, you should act like you're being paid to paint his house. Bad analogy. It's more like you thought you were hired to paint his house, but the way things ended up he was telling you how to match colors and hold a brush. All the while pointing to the 10 year-old kids sloppily painting a fence across the street saying "See? You're still in the basement mixing paint, and they're almost don…

"he was telling you how to match colors and hold a brush"

You have no cause to complain here in this analogy. Either quit or happily let him tell you how to match colors and hold a brush, and if he tells you to paint like the sloppy kids across the street, that's now your job.

You're not painting for the City while having a superior, or for "shareholders" or to "build a good house" or "build a good company" (that this is a metaphor for) - you're painting for him. If you don't want to do it like he says, you would leave (or quote more money for putting up with his childishness.)

Re: The CEO of my company is a micro manager - how to make it stop?

#34

Post by its_so_on »

toomuchcoffee wrote: post #18
its_so_on wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

in other words: if you hire a personal cook you get to tell him what to cook, and he doesn't get to tell you what you should be eating instead.

Agreed: what to cook, not how .

sorry, both. if your personal cook doesn't want to cook how you tell him to, he can leave. if you're someone's personal cook your only job is to cook like he says. if you can't or don't want to, leave or quote the price that will make you put up with the conditions.

Re: The CEO of my company is a micro manager - how to make it stop?

#35

Post by freejack »

Quit is great advice.

Don't try and solve this, its his problem, not yours. And unless you want blood in the water (or a severance check) don't try and coach him on this.

I'm guessing that the CEO is younger and lacks the experience and seasoning that will give him the self-awareness and self-confidence that he'd need to delegate appropriately. Its quite common and there's absolutely nothing that you can do to change it. After a few people leave, someone close to him (perhaps a board member, advisor or someone in HR) will mention to him that the turnover is related to his poor management practice and he'll hopefully take that to heart, get some coaching and come out the other side with some better habits. In the meantime, you can be leading a happy, productive career elsewhere.

Re: The CEO of my company is a micro manager - how to make it stop?

#36

Post by toomuchcoffee »

its_so_on wrote: post #34
toomuchcoffee wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed: what to cook, not how .

sorry, both. if your personal cook doesn't want to cook how you tell him to, he can leave. if you're someone's personal cook your only job is to cook like he says. if you can't or don't want to, leave or quote the price that will make you put up with the conditions.

if your personal cook doesn't want to cook how you tell him to, he can leave.

Great retention strategy there, Chief.

Try telling professional, well-established cook how to hold a pairing knife -- when you can barely make scrambled eggs yourself -- and see what happens.

Re: The CEO of my company is a micro manager - how to make it stop?

#37

Post by toomuchcoffee »

its_so_on wrote: post #33
toomuchcoffee wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As long as he's the whole owner, you should act like you're being paid to paint his house. Bad analogy. It's more like you thought you were hired to paint his house, but the way things ended up he was telling you how to match colors and hold a brush. All the while pointing to the 10 year-old kids sloppily painting a fence across the street saying "See? You're still in the basement mixing paint, and they're almost don…

"he was telling you how to match colors and hold a brush" You have no cause to complain here in this analogy. Either quit or happily let him tell you how to match colors and hold a brush, and if he tells you to paint like the sloppy kids across the street, that's now your job. You're not painting for the City while having a superior, or for "shareholders" or to "build a good house" or "build a good company" (that thi…

...or quote more money for putting up with his childishness.

Basically, yeah, that's usually how I end up handling these situations when quitting seems less than convenient.

Re: The CEO of my company is a micro manager - how to make it stop?

#39

Post by j_baker »

sopooneo wrote: post #22
kurtpara wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are are making is cool, and we have the potential to get huge so I'd like to stay. Everyone does exactly what he says, so he should have no issues with anyone not taking instruction from him. It just sucks to leave a meeting knowing that we are doing it the wrong way and can't do anything to fix it. I want to fix it.

If the company is so successful, is it possible that in fact you are not being asked to do it the wrong way?

If he's being asked to do it the wrong way, is it possible the company could be even more successful?

Re: The CEO of my company is a micro manager - how to make it stop?

#40

Post by j_baker »

michaelpinto wrote: post #31
j_baker wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

also if the ceo managed to scale up to 30 people without any help something tells me that either he's doing something right or has enough money banked to make and learn from his own mistakes. How do you know this business was built by the CEO? It's very frequently the case that this kind of CEO is adding no value and is simply adept at taking credit for their underlings' work.

From the post it sounds like the CEO is the chief funder — so while it's not 100% clear if he was the founder (yes maybe he did purchase the business from a previous owner) he or she has "put their money where their mouth is". Although on the flip side the post doesn't indicate that the CEO isn't the original founder. But the notion of "taking credit" is sort of at odds with the micromanagement of the employees. Also…

But the notion of "taking credit" is sort of at odds with the micromanagement of the employees.

No it's not.

"You wouldn't have completed this project if I hadn't been there to correct your mistakes."

Good leaders correct details because they think they're important. Micromanagers correct minor details as a means of making it look like they're adding value (oftentimes this is a lie they tell themselves just as much as it is one they tell others).

Plus, funding a company doesn't buy one a CEO spot. If it did, all startups would be run by VCs.

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