The Russian Doll Syndrome

Many micro-managers claim to be coaches. In reality, they are just rationalizing their failures.

Micro-managing and coaching focus on two different things:

Micro-managing focuses on a task and method. The manager has a certain method in mind how he wants the task to be completed. It's a non-personal approach. Micro-managers have poor social skills and live under the premise "Either my way or the highway."

Coaching is method and development focused. Task completion is secondary to behavior change and competence in the method. The focus is on the person.

The purpose of both managing methods is different and determines different results:

Micro-managers prefer to work with people they consider less capable. And they hire people they consider not as competent as them. That results in the Russian Doll Syndrome: They hire smaller people than them, and these smaller people tend to hire even smaller people until you end up with managerial dwarfs.

Coaching enables people to grow. Coaching Managers encourage their employees to express opinions and take risks.

Micro-managers are relics of the Industrial Age aka Capitalism 1.0
Coaches are needed for Capitalism 2.0.