‘I wasn’t working anymore, I was just waiting for approvals’: Bengaluru CA shares what micromanagement does to employees

A manager who wants to know about every task, email and tiny decision may believe they are keeping work on track. But constant oversight can have an unexpected effect on employees: they may slowly stop making decisions themselves. Bengaluru-based CA Meenal Goel recently shared her experience of working with a manager who wanted updates on everything. What initially seemed like a normal workplace routine eventually made her hesitate, seek approvals and lose the confidence to take ownership of her work.

Monitoring by manager

Meenal Goel, a Bengaluru CA, took to social media to share her experience with a manager who wanted regular updates about virtually everything she did at work. “Every task. Every email. Every small decision,” Goel wrote, describing the level of monitoring she experienced. Initially, she did not see anything unusual about it. She assumed that perhaps this was simply how things worked in that workplace.

At first, she thought "it was normal" and assumed that it was how it worked. But, soon she realised that instead of questioning the constant updates, Goel adapted to them. She started to update more and more. Over time, however, the repeated need to keep her manager informed began affecting her ability to make decisions independently.


Goel said she eventually stopped taking decisions on her own. Importantly, she clarified that it was not because she lacked the ability to make those decisions. The concern was what might happen if she acted without checking first.“But because I knew I’d be asked, ‘Why didn’t you check first?’” Goel explained. That fear of being questioned gradually changed her behaviour. Instead of assessing a situation and moving forward, she became more likely to wait for approval.

Waiting for approvals

The turning point came when Goel realised that the constant need for approval had fundamentally changed the way she approached her work. She realised she was barely working, and more of waiting for approvals. The issue went beyond individual decisions. Goel said she also noticed that she had gradually stopped thinking ahead. What started as frequent updates had eventually affected her initiative and independence.

Goel used her experience to make a broader point about micromanagement. According to her, excessive monitoring does not necessarily prevent mistakes. Instead, it can discourage employees from taking ownership of their work. “It doesn’t reduce mistakes. It reduces ownership,” Goel said.

When employees know that every decision will be scrutinised and questioned, they may become reluctant to make decisions without explicit approval. Over time, this can shift their role from actively thinking about solutions to simply carrying out instructions.

Impact of micromanagement

Goel summed up the impact of micromanagement by drawing a distinction between employees who feel trusted to take responsibility and those who are monitored at every stage. “Because when people are monitored at every step, they stop acting like owners and start acting like executors,” she wrote.

Her experience highlights how workplace management can influence employee behaviour beyond productivity or deadlines. When people have room to make reasonable decisions, they can develop confidence and take greater responsibility. But when every move requires approval, the safest choice may become waiting rather than acting.

Internet reacts

A user wrote, "The real damage is subtle. Constant approvals can turn capable, confident people into passive executors who stop thinking beyond their assigned tasks." Another commented, "So true! Great leaders track key deliverables and final outcomes rather than managing every single daily task." One added, "This truly happens a lot of times and staying in such a setup for long, can hamper your mental health and growth."

One user related with her situation and wrote, "This hits hard. I’ve experienced something similar earlier in my career. When every small decision needs validation, you slowly stop trusting your own judgement, even when you know the work well. And the biggest loss isn’t just ownership; it’s the enthusiasm for work that you once genuinely loved. Micromanagement may create control, but it can quietly kill initiative and passion."