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Micromanagement Index

How much freedom actually survives after approvals, mandatory status updates, premature check-ins and messages that start with “just checking in”?

Not scientific. It does not diagnose people or rate a specific manager. It looks at control habits in the working environment.

12 questions · ~2 minutes

Were you hired to do the work — or to prove that you are doing it?

Answer for a normal week. The first option means trust and autonomy. The last means management is getting dangerously close to remote-controlling your cursor.

01 How freely can you choose how to complete a clear task?

I choose the approachThere are reasonable constraintsBetter to check firstThere are usually specific instructionsSometimes even the click order is explained

02 How often are you asked for a status update when very little could realistically have changed since the last one?

03 How many approvals does a small, reversible decision usually need?

04 How often does your manager ask to see work before it is ready for useful discussion?

05 What happens if you are unavailable in chat for an hour or two because you are doing focused work?

06 Can you change a small implementation detail without permission if the goal and risk stay the same?

07 How many different places need updating to communicate the same progress?

08 What usually happens after you say, “I’ll own this”?

“Great, ask if you need help”We clarify the expected outcomeI’m asked to keep people postedA list of checkpoints appearsA meeting is scheduled to discuss how I will own it

09 How often is the discussion about when you started, replied or updated a ticket rather than the outcome?

10 What happens after you make a reasonable independent decision that turns out to be wrong?

We review it and move onWe discuss what we learnedThere is more checking for a whileFuture decisions need approvalThe mistake becomes an argument against autonomy itself

11 How often do you receive “how’s it going?” before the next reasonable update point?

12 How safe does it feel to tell your manager, “I’m going to do this differently because I see a better way”?

Answered: 0 of 12