But there’s this thing about information. You have to be able to record it, process it, and store it, and when it comes to its usefulness, someone has to take the time to read and understand it. To process it and apply it. For this reason, when it comes to an overbearing micromanager, by far the easiest way to handle their requests for ever-encroaching oversight is to flood them, drown them, with information.
Still, there is a time and a place for information, and knowing how to communicate with brevity without removing any necessary details is a skill in and of itself.
This logistics coordinator was accustomed to submitting detailed weekly reports outlining shipment statuses, delays, and carrier issues. Only three weeks into their new role, their manager criticized the detailed nature of their reports, probably frustrated at the fact that they had to read and remember all of those details, and that if anything went wrong, they’d actually have to be responsible for them and not blame their subordinate for not giving them the information to start with.
They demanded that the reports be shorter. Taking this feedback literally, the logistics coordinator submitted an extremely concise report containing the absolute bare minimum.
The lack of detail in this report prompted their manager to come storming over to their desk, demanding more elaboration. This began a face-to-face discussion over details that took way longer than their previous report had at all.
From then on, their original reports resumed, and their manager never raised the issue again.
Author: Kayitsi.com
