Presumptions

Another often repeated sentiment around here are the are the “trust your team” and “don’t micromanage”. And as oversimplified statements, I fully support.

The one where the employer/manager does not care if you need to jump out to handle something or care for someone close to you, if you need to leave early or going to join the fray late tomorrow. While “yeah, sure”, no need to ask for permission is good.

However, would you trust a team member if they disappear without telling anyone? To the tune that you can’t reach them?

There is always more than one side of these. The point is to align, if you are remote, align often, preferably async mode (just a short message). I strive to keep my team in the loop too. I appreciate when others respect my time, so I start with respecting other’s time.

Practical steps we can take, is when we get to work the first time, I describe how I prefer to work over time (I am an early bird myself), and we find a common ground. And if there are any discrepancies, I leave a note or bring it up during calls in advance.

If there is anything crucial coming up, like an important presentation, a deadline, etc, as team lead I always make sure it is well known in advance. And have plan B and C in the stack if anything happens. (Health and family comes first so we can accommodate for the unexpected!)

Just before presuming a leader is micromanaging when asking when do you work or when something is about to be finished, just be transparent, and maybe ask them kindly in return. It may be just they want to plan and align their schedule too. Or need to move things around. It always nice to manage expectations anyway.

Just my two cents. Have you had any misunderstandings we could learn interesting insights from?