So how do I help, without hovering?
That’s the question this whole series has been circling.
Because “don’t micromanage” isn’t helpful advice.
It’s just fear wrapped in principle. The Team Lead we’ve been talking about didn’t want to be a micromanager.
They wanted to trust.
They wanted to give space. But something wasn’t working.
They saw it.
They finally acted.
And they got pushback. But they stayed in the conversation.
They repeated the message: “I’m here to support you.”
They didn’t flinch.
They didn’t escalate.
They didn’t disappear. And something shifted. Because healthy involvement isn’t about control.
It’s about co-ownership.
It’s the difference between: “I’m checking up on you”
and
“I’m here in the trenches with you.” It’s not silence until there’s a problem.
It’s a working rhythm, built together, early and openly. So how do we stay close without crowding? We check in, not check up.
We agree what support looks like before there’s tension.
We treat feedback as a gift, not a threat.
We act early, when small course-corrections are still possible. We build the relationship, not just the workflow. Micromanagement isn’t about proximity.
It’s about misalignment.
The best managers stay close enough to care,
and clear enough to be trusted. That’s support that sticks. Until next time,
Dermot
The Messy Middle ✉️ Enjoying The Messy Middle?
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