The Line Between Tracking Time and Micromanagement

When does time tracking become synonymous with micromanagement? In this article, we will be exploring the aspect that often gives time tracking bad reputation. And how to make sure you don’t live up to that stereotype.

The displeasure most employees have with time tracking is barely a secret. And the explanation for it mostly stems from them associating it with micromanagement. While some companies are indeed guilty of morphing the two together, very often this is not the case. There is a line between the two. The first step towards not crossing it and living up to the common misconception is defining where it is. Only then we can start talking about staying within the boundaries. 

That is precisely what today’s topic is - clearing up where the line is and how to make sure not to cross it. While separating time tracking from micromanagement is a tough challenge given how deep-rooted the stereotype is, you are fully capable of changing your company’s perception. So, let’s begin with the basics. 

Is Time Tracking Micromanagement?

No. Although often associated with one another, the two are not the same. Time tracking can be used as a means to tighten an employer’s grip over how the staff utilise their time, but it is considered a malpractice. 

Time tracking is a tool rather than an approach, whereas micromanagement is a way to run a team. Both also have very different effects on productivity, performance, relationships and the overall well-being of the business.

Key Differences

Due to how deep-rooted the stereotype of time tracking equalling micromanagement is, it can be difficult to pinpoint how they are different. However, it is absolutely necessary to do that in order to address potential worries your team may have if you are introducing time tracking. So, let’s dive right into it. 

Empowerment vs Control

Time tracking is often mistaken to be limiting employees from reaching their true potential, but it’s the opposite. It is empowering them, namely by allowing them to focus on the final results rather than the output. By understanding the time constraints they have, the workers are trusted to make decisions regarding task prioritisation and execution to reach their goals. In other words, time tracking gives them the freedom to think and act critically. 

Micromanagement, on the other hand, is the opposite. This is when the employer or the managing authority takes over decision-making and time allocation entirely. They set priorities, allocate tasks to certain time slots and serve them as firm targets. All that’s left for the employees is to execute such plans, often under a watchful eye that’s making sure they don’t stray. Such a level of control often leads to pressure and anxiety, both of which are great contributors to sudden underperformance. 

Growth vs Demotivation

Naturally, empowerment comes with challenges, requiring employees to take on accountability and leave their comfort zone. Even if they’re not successful in terms of their result, they gain experience and an opportunity to learn from their mistakes. In other words, the growth is constant and independent of whether the goals are reached. It benefits both, the company and the worker in the long run. And can become a power driving them forward.

However, when there is no growth, employees may become discouraged and stagnant. Not to mention, micromanagement breeds the feelings of not being trusted, which can also demotivate people to try and aim for bigger heights. Being stuck at the same level, however, is the best thing to happen when the workers lose their spark. More often than not they start expressing a decline in performance, become less accepting of feedback and generally more short-fused in their interactions. In the long run, demotivation can start growing into resentment. The end result of that is usually the employee quitting, and often not on good terms. 

Nurture the Right Mindset

A healthy approach to time tracking begins with adopting the right mindset. Believe it or not, it starts with you. How you perceive time tracking and how you choose to utilise it will dictate how useful it will be to your team.

Go Hands-off with Time Tracking Software

The best way not to fall into the trap that is micromanagement is to take a step back when it comes to time tracking. It is easy to get preoccupied with it when you’re the one calculating each employee’s hours and their income based on the time worked versus the results. Especially when they have a quieter period and underperform. Unless you can compare it against their overall performance, this can become a trigger for becoming a little overbearing when it comes to observing them closer. 

And getting that centralised view isn’t always easy. Ultimately, less productive time periods happen - it’s called being human. So to avoid this entire issue from happening, we suggest getting a time tracking software to handle matters such as time logging and calculations for you. All you have to do is log into the system and run reports. This way you will be able to see the full picture instead of a fragment. And if there are actual issues, the patterns will become noticeable, making it easy for you to address. 

Track Results, Not Hours

The most common mistake that occurs when time tracking is introduced is focusing on the hours. And that’s when most companies cross the line between driving productivity and blatantly micromanaging their staff. With the visibility of where the time is being applied, they get sucked into their own belief of how their workers should spread their hours, beginning to force it on them. Such an approach entirely disregards personality and leaves no room for new ideas. 

To avoid this pitfall, shift your focus to the results rather than the hours. Time tracking is meant to give you an idea of how long certain tasks take to complete and spot the areas where you could save time. However, it is not an invitation to take control over how your employees distribute their workload among these allocated hours. Every person has their workflows, peak productivity hours and such. As long as they hit their targets, don’t try to make them follow your preferences. Instead, help them to find ways to enhance their approach further. 

Never Cross the Line

Are you still worried that you may accidentally get carried away and wander into the territory of micromanagement? It’s a very valid worry and, unfortunately, these things happen. But fret not - there are also ways to prevent it. 

The Answer is in Numbers

Curiously enough, data collected through time tracking can help you recognise if you’re wandering into the territory of micromanagement. The key indicator is that while you seem to know where every minute of your team’s time went, the results they deliver are not reflecting it. The biggest tell-a-tale sign of micromanagement is a fall in efficiency, especially when it does not correspond to the time spent ratio. 

If you notice such a trend in your reports, it’s time to step back. Not only are you hindering your employees from executing their jobs and demotivating them, but you’re putting a strain on your own performance. Think of all the time you could be applying to bettering your procedures and business development instead of spending it obsessing over what your employees do. A couple of minutes spent having a water cooler chat with a colleague won’t hurt your business. A half-an-hour disciplinary one-on-one conversation might.

Summary

Time tracking is not micromanagement. They are very different concepts, starting with one being a tool and the other being an approach. To dive deeper into differences, time tracking supports the individual growth and development of your employees. It encourages them to make decisions, nurtures critical thinking and enables endless learning. Micromanagement, on the other hand, takes all that away. The very idea of it implies that the employee is meant to only do what they are assigned to and never have personal input. 

Before you can start communicating these differences, you need to get into the right mindset yourself. First of all, nothing good comes out of obsessing over hours. So, instead of tracking them yourself, allow a designated tool to. And even then, focus on the results instead of the time spent. Having your priorities set on analysing and prioritising the right metric is the way to ensure you don’t fall into the trap of micromanagement. 

Unsure if you’re going in the right direction? We can guide you.