How to help at work (without micromanaging) 16 Feb, 2021 07:36 PM 6 minutes to read Bosses who intervene too often or too extensively in their subordinates' activities get a bad reputation. Photo / 123RF Bosses who intervene too often or too extensively in their subordinates' activities get a bad reputation. Photo / 123RF Harvard Business Review By: Colin M. Fisher, Teresa M. Amabile and Julianna Pillemer "Micromanagement" is a dirty word in today's workplaces. Bosses who intervene too often or too extensively in their subordinates' activities get a bad reputation, and most forward-thinking organisations have come to value employee autonomy more than oversight. Research shows that people have strong negative emotional and physiological reactions to unnecessary or unwanted help and that it can erode interpersonal relationships. Even the US Army General George S. Patton understood the danger of micromanaging: He famously said, "Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity."