While the cat's away the mice will play. That's the mentality many employees have when their boss leaves for vacation. It's a time to roll out of bed a few hours later, take long lunches and make long distance phone calls.
But consider this: Instead of goofing around during your boss' time off, try making the most of the peace and quiet that comes when he or she isn't peering over your shoulder or giving you more assignments. If you do that, you're likely to gain more independence and thwart the efforts of a micromanaging boss.
"It's a great time for you to shine," says Doug James, vice president of EMI music publishing with responsibility for film soundtracks, who manages 10 staffers directly. "When someone isn't over your shoulder you're allowed to excel and you get steady on your feet. We've all had those great days, when the day flew by because you've accomplished so much."
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Steve Chandler understands the challenges of dealing with a micromanager. He's a consultant and author of The Hands-Off Manager, who is called into companies to increase productivity. What bosses don't realize when they call upon him is that they're frequently the people who keep their employees from functioning on their own.
Chandler's first task when he enters a new business is to observe how a boss manages. Are employees given the freedom to set their own priorities and see a project from beginning to end? If not, he gently teaches the boss how to back off.
What he's learned over the years is that bosses often stand in the way of productivity. "Some companies have done studies to show productivity goes up when managers leave," says Chandler. "They wonder, 'How can that be? We hired them to manage productivity?' The answer is that today's worker is completely independent, knowledgeable and self-taught. They grow up faster and contribute more if you leave them alone--they
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