Heads up: Our book club row over a telecommuting novel revealed my manager's micromanaging

Our group picked a book about people with jobs done from anywhere last month. We had a huge argument over whether bosses trust their staff enough. I said my manager uses tools to track us all day, which feels invasive. For example, he sets mandatory check-ins three times daily and demands detailed logs. A friend in the club said her company gives full freedom, with no such rules. This debate made me see my job's culture is really controlling. I'm now considering a move to a place with more respect for employees. It's wild how a simple book discussion can spotlight real job problems, lol.

4 comments

4 Comments

harris.andrew1mo ago

Three mandatory check-ins does sound like a lot, but it might not just be about trust. Some jobs really do need that structure to keep projects moving, especially with newer teams. I get why it feels invasive, but there could be a practical reason behind it.

bettyh351mo ago

Yeah, but that much checking in just kills your focus. It feels like you're always getting ready for the next meeting instead of doing real work. How is anyone supposed to get into a flow?

hugotaylor1mo ago

Three mandatory check-ins a day? That's wild. You'd spend half your time just writing status updates or prepping for the next sync. No chance to actually dig into a complex problem before you have to stop and report on it. It turns a workday into a series of tiny, disconnected tasks.

barbara_jenkins6626d ago

Honestly, that structure is the problem itself. If a project needs three check-ins a day just to stay on track, the planning is broken. It's like having a leaky bucket and deciding the fix is to check the water level every two hours instead of patching the hole. You end up managing the reporting, not the actual work.