Feeling underconfident at work? Your boss’s one habit could be the reason. Bengaluru CA explains how it kills independent thinking

Workplace confidence is often seen as something personal, either you have it or you don’t. But a recent LinkedIn post by Bengaluru-based Chartered Accountant Meenal Goel points out that sometimes the problem is not the employee at all. It can also be the way a manager operates every day, especially when micromanagement becomes the norm.

Goel shared her experience of working under a manager who constantly wanted updates on everything, and how that slowly changed the way she worked and thought.

When every small task needs approval

In her post, she described how the work environment started off looking normal but gradually became restrictive. She wrote: “I once worked with a manager who wanted updates on everything. Every task. Every email. Every small decision. At first, I thought it was normal. Maybe that’s how things run. So I started updating more, then even more. Eventually, I stopped taking decisions on my own. Not because I couldn’t. But because I knew I’d be asked, “Why didn’t you check first?” That’s when it hit me. "

She added, "I wasn’t working anymore, I was just waiting for approvals. And slowly, I stopped thinking ahead. That’s what micromanagement does. It doesn’t reduce mistakes. It reduces ownership. Because when people are monitored at every step, they stop acting like owners and start acting like executors.”

Her account reflects a shift that many employees quietly experience but rarely talk about. What starts as “keeping the manager updated” slowly turns into constant validation for even the smallest decisions.

How micromanagement changes workplace thinking

According to Goel’s experience, the issue is not just slower work or repeated approvals. The deeper impact is on decision-making ability. When every step is questioned, employees begin to second-guess themselves. Over time, this weakens independent thinking.

Instead of planning ahead or taking initiative, workers may begin to wait for instructions. Even simple decisions can start feeling risky because there is always a fear of being questioned later. This kind of environment gradually reduces confidence, even in capable professionals.

Goel also highlighted an important shift that happens without people noticing it immediately. Employees stop feeling responsible for outcomes and start focusing only on completing assigned instructions. In such setups, work becomes reactive instead of proactive.

Micromanagement, as described in her post, does not necessarily increase accuracy or reduce mistakes. Instead, it often removes the sense of ownership that drives people to think independently and solve problems on their own.