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HBRCASESTUDYTheMicromanagerbyBronwynFryerNiNE-YEAROLDJILLslammedherpen-cildownonthetableinfrustration.Ihatewordproblems!Sheclearlywastiredandhungry.Ithadbeenanexhaustingdayandnotjustforfourthgraders.GeorgeLatour'swifewasvisitinghermother,leavinghimtomanagebothhischildrenandhiscom-pany.Georgepridedhimselfonbeingagoodfatherandagoodcorporatepater-familias,buthiswife'srareabsencesal-waysrenewedhisappreciationofhersta-minaandgeneralserenity.It'slikethelastone,Jilly,Georgesaid,tryingtohidehisimpatienceasJillslumpeddramaticallyoverherwork-book.Hespoonedsomemeatballsandspaghettiontothedinnerplates.Firstyouhavetocomeupwiththefraction.Sonow,tellmewhatthenumeratorwouldbe.Heturnedtoseethree-year-oldBobbystartingtotipafullmilkcartontowardhisglass.Ooops!Georgesnatchedtheteeter-ingcartonfromhissonbeforeitcouldfallforward.Icanpourit!Bobbyshouted.Trustme.It'stooheavy.Georgefilledasmallplasticcupwithmilkandplaceditonthetable.HegentlypushedJill'sworkasideandputherplateinfrontofher.Here,honey.Eatyourdin-nerandthenyoucanfinishupthehomework.Georgeaskedhischildrenhowtheirdayshadgone.Jillwasproudofagoodgradeonherspellingtest.Bobbyhaddrawnapictureofascaryspider.Andhowwasyourday.Daddy?Jillaskedbrightly,chasinganescapedstrandofspaghetti.GeorgeLatourbendsoverbackwardtocoachhismarketingdirector,butsheconsidershismanagementstyleoppressive.Cantheyfindawaytocooperate?Fine,thankyou,Jilly,saidGeorge,pleasedbyherpoliteinterest.Tobeperfectlyhonest,thedayhadbeenanythingbutfine.Theboardmem-bershadbeentestyatthemorningmeet-ing,whereGeorgehadspentaninor-dinateamountoftimedefendingthecompany'ssalesstrategy.EveryoneintheroomknewthatRetronicsneededaboost,andhehadfelttheheat.AsCEO,George'smandatewastogrowrevenueswithaneyetowardtak-ingthesoftware-engineeringfirmpub-licby2006.RetronicshadbeenaSili-conValleydarlingduringthe1990s,enjoyinggenerousventurecapitalfund-ingandboastingalonglistofbig-nameclients.Whenthedot-combubbleburst,Retronicshadsuffered.Firstcamethelayoffsandcutbacks;thentheboardfiredthefounder.In2003,thedirectorsHBR'scases,whicharefictional,presentcommonmanagerialdilemmasandofferconcretesolutionsfromexperts.SEPTEMBER200431HBRCASESTUDY•TheMicromanagerhiredGeorge,whowasaseasonedex-ecutivewithimpressiveengineeringcre-dentialsandsignificantexperienceinenterprise-scalesystemsandoperations.Hehadbroughtinsomeimportantnewbusiness.Buti6monthslater,revenueshadn'treboundedenoughtoimpressin-vestors,andotherfirmswerebeginningtopickoffRetronics'smarketshare.Theboardwasstampingitscollectivefeet,andGeorgewasrunningoutofideas.Thebusinessisoutthere,PeteDmitrijevich,thechairman,hadsaid.Andyouhavetalentedmarketingpeo-ple.Yourleadstreamshouldlookbetterthanthis.Temptedtoreplythatthestorehousesoftalentweren'tashelpfulashe'dhoped,Georgehadbittenhistongue.Bobbysawthecreasedeepeningbe-tweenhisfather'seyebrows.What'swrong,Daddy?heasked.Oh,nothing,Bobby,Georgesaid.Justthinking.Eatyourspaghetti.IfYouWantSomethingDoneRightAt430thenextafternoon,Georgefelttheneedtostretchhislegs.Walkingdownthehall,hesawShelleyStem,thenewmarketingdirector,comingtowardhim.Shewasdeeplyengrossedinapressreleasedraft,andheswervedtoavoidher.How'sitcoming,Shelley?Georgecalledout.Shestarted.MindifItakeapeek?heasked.Uh,sureShelleysaid,handingthepapersover-alittlereluctantly,Georgethought.rm...stilijustmessingaroundwithit.Georgereadthepressreleasehead-linealoud.'MortimontCorporationAdoptsPrexPro.'Isn'tthatkindofasoft-It'sjustaworkingtitle,Shelleyin-terrupted.Iwritetheheadlineslast.Hecontinuedtoread.Howaboutastrongerquote?Maybesomethinglike,'AccordingtoCEOGeorgeLatour,any-onewhoisn'tusingthePrexProToolsetisusingStoneAgetechnology'?Ijustdon'tthinkthey'dprintthat,Shelleycountered.Wemighthaveabetterchancewithsomethingalittlemoremeasured.Georgesaidpatiently,Iseeyourpoint,Shelley,butit'snotliketheyeverprintthesethingsverbatim.Anyself-respectingreporterisgoingtoassumeWhatevertheissuewas,itwouldhavetobeaddressed.Hecouldn'tkeepdoingherjobforever.acertainamountofhyperboleanddis-countit.Soifyoucomeoutthegatesoundinghumble,they'regoingtofig-urethere'sreallynothingthere.Aquotewithsomeattitudemightjustgetthemtositupandtakenotice.So,hecon-cluded,I'dreallyliketoseethiscopydotwothings:one,emphasizetheinnova-tionand,two,exudeconfidence.Pursingherlips,Shelleynoddedslightly.Thanks,Shel,Georgesaidwithedgycheeriness.You'rethebest.GeorgeknewShelleyhatedtohaveherworkcriticized.Buthetriedtokeepthingsconstructive.Ifshewasgoingtorisetoherpotential,sheneededthefeedback.And,anyway,hecouldn'taf-fordunderperformance.Asfarastherestoftheorganizationwasconcerned,ShelleyStemwashishire-oneofthefirsthe'dmade,infact.Thequalityofherworkreflecteddirectlyonhim.Intruth,Shelleyhadn'tbeenhisre-cruitbuthadcomeintothecompanybywayoftheboard'schairman.Petelovedtodescribearock-climbingeventthatShelleyhadinventedforatradeshow.TheboothincludedareplicaoftheMatterhom,aclimbingwall,anda30-footbungee-corddropthathadbeenthetalkoftheshowandproducedafioodofnewleads.Justyouwait,PetehadtoldhimwhenGeorgeannouncedBronwynFryer(bfryer@hbsp.harvard.edu)isasenior