Chieh Huang: Confessions of a recovering micromanager

Confessions of a recovering micromanager

Think about the most tired you've ever been at work. It probably wasn't when you stayed late or came home from a road trip -- chances are it was when you had someone looking over your shoulder, watching your each and every move. "If we know that micromanagement isn't really effective, why do we do it?" asks entrepreneur Chieh Huang. In a funny talk packed with wisdom and humility, Huang shares the cure for micromanagement madness -- and how to foster innovation and happiness at work.

Micromanagement drains energy and stifles creativity, leaving people exhausted not from hard work but from being constantly watched. Studies show that workers who lack control over their jobs feel more fatigued, regardless of physical effort. When employees are empowered to own their work, surprising solutions emerge, like an engineer building an autonomous guided vehicle in 90 days or a marketing team tackling unfair 'pink taxes.' The real cure for micromanagement is simple but hard: genuine trust in people’s abilities.