3 signs you’re accidentally a micromanager - and how to stop

Lia Garvin explains how capable managers slip into micromanaging and the three concrete tells to watch for: teams double-checking work, you attending every meeting, and high performers asking for more. Drawing on her experience being micromanaged at Google, Lia gives practical actions managers can use immediately to delegate, build ownership, and stop micromanagement in your team.
In this episode you will learn:
Why being in every meeting is a trust problem, not a time management problem, and how to step out without things falling apart
How making every decision trains your team to stop making decisions of their own
Why turning down a high performer who asks for more work is one of the clearest signals they're about to leave
The specific moves that start building trust so you can actually hand things off
The time math: how much you actually get back when you address all three
Resources mentioned:
The New Manager Playbook
Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo
Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.
I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.
Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
Email: [email protected]
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin
--
© 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple