What to do when your new team expects to be micromanaged

Emily, a newly appointed VP of Finance, discovered that her team was still relying on her for routine decisions and processes even after implementing new financial and billing systems. Despite her efforts to drive change, the team's dependence on her persisted, leaving her with little capacity to focus on strategic initiatives. This situation is not uncommon; when companies bring in outsiders to lead change, long-tenured teams may expect micromanagement.

The solution lies not in stepping back but in understanding the root cause of the dependence, aligning incentives and resources, and gradually building autonomy. To diagnose the issue, Emily and her team mapped out key work streams, asking team members to explain each approval step and the consequences of bypassing them. This exercise revealed that the previous VP's authoritarian style had created an environment where team members were hesitant to offer input.

Additionally, some team members' reluctance to take initiative stemmed from a lack of skills, motivation, or confidence. To facilitate change, Emily had to secure support from her boss and align expectations on what team members should own and why it mattered. She also updated job expectations, performance goals, and recognition to encourage ownership.

Communicating the change to peers who depended on her team, particularly regarding increased lead times, was crucial. By involving her team in the change process and positioning it according to their feedback, Emily made her leadership more transparent. She acknowledged her own role in perpetuating the problem, which helped team members feel more comfortable voicing their concerns.

Emily started small, cocreating solutions with her team, and resisted the temptation to take ownership herself, even when it seemed necessary. By supporting and rewarding ownership, Emily gradually shifted the team's dynamics, paving the way for greater autonomy and strategic focus.