Imagine sitting at an interview, hopeful for the opportunity to join a reputable company. And then, the owner describes the style of leadership as very micromanaged. Not only is it doubtful the available position will be filled, but the boss has also succeeded in making the entire business environment sound controlling and negative. Here’s why micromanagement should ultimately be avoided.

Trust is a difficult concept in today’s society. Business leaders already struggle to gain and maintain employee trust on a regular basis, but if their management style involves micromanaging every detail of the job it’s very unlikely to trust will ever be established. Disastrous results can occur from this, including a large decrease in staff productivity and the potential for employees to leave the company entirely, creating a high turnover rate of staff members.

When employees are hired into a company, it’s because of their knowledge of specific skills or strategies. If a leader constantly micromanages his employees, those individual talents need to be utilized less and less. What happens as a result? The creation of an entire team who cannot complete tasks on their own. Micromanagement creates dependency, which inevitably creates more work for the boss. While it’s necessary to delegate responsibilities and tasks, it shouldn’t be so extreme that it stifles the creativity and problem-solving skills of the team. If a leader notices employers waiting on his every word to complete basic daily assignments, it may be time to rethink the style of management.

Perhaps the most dangerous outcome of micromanaging a business is workplace burnout that affects both the leader and his coworkers. Nitpicking and overseeing every minute task and detail is exhausting for everyone involved. It takes a grueling amount of time from each workday that could be much better spent completing a project or building a positive team rapport. Burnout leads to a lack of patience, energy, and fun for the job. As the boss drifts down that professional spiral, there’s no doubt his employees will follow.

As a leader, it’s easy but dangerous to become a micromanager. When warning signs appear, step back and reassess the roles of a boss and his team. Trust and belief in others’ skills and positive outcomes will result.