Managers who rely too heavily on control often end up losing it altogether.

So when a draconian time-tracking mandate disrupted a team known for self-motivation, they pushed back in the most methodical way possible.

Read on for the full story!

You Want Me to Log Every Minute? Sure Thing, Boss!

A few years back, I worked as a junior analyst at a mid-sized consulting firm.

Our team was known for delivering quality work, often going above and beyond to meet tight deadlines.

We had a flexible work culture, and as long as the work got done, no one micromanaged our hours.

But soon, that all changed.

Enter our new manager, Karen (not her real name, but fitting).

Karen came from a corporate background and was obsessed with metrics and control.

She introduced a new policy: every team member had to log their work in 15-minute increments using a new time-tracking software.

She claimed it was to “optimize productivity,” but it felt more like surveillance.

Against her employee’s warnings, Karen relentlessly pushed this new way of working.

We tried to express our concerns, highlighting that the nature of our work didn’t always fit neatly into 15-minute blocks.

Sometimes, we had brainstorming sessions, quick client calls, or impromptu team huddles. But Karen was adamant: “If it’s not logged, it didn’t happen.”

Fine.

So that’s exactly what this employee did.

I decided to comply—maliciously.

I began logging every single activity:

9:00 AM – 9:15 AM: Booting up computer and reviewing emails.
9:15 AM – 9:30 AM: Responding to emails.
9:30 AM – 9:45 AM: Coffee break.
9:45 AM – 10:00 AM: Team stand-up meeting.
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM: Bathroom break.
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM: Reading industry articles for professional development.

And so on.

There wasn’t a single thing this employee wouldn’t log.

I included everything: waiting for files to download, software updates, even the time spent logging time.

I wasn’t the only one.

The entire team followed suit.

Soon, Karen got the message loud and clear.

Within a week, Karen was inundated with detailed logs that painted a picture of a team bogged down by administrative tasks.

Our actual productivity took a hit because we were so focused on tracking every minute.

After two weeks, Karen called a team meeting.

She looked exhausted.

Incredibly, she actually admitted her mistake.

“Okay, maybe we went a bit overboard with the time tracking,” she admitted. “Let’s simplify the process.”

Victory.

And finally, everything was back to normal again.

We returned to our previous system, focusing on deliverables rather than micromanaging time.

Productivity soared, and Karen learned that trust and flexibility often yield better results than rigid control.

These employees sure showed her!

What did Reddit have to say?

Micromanaging = bad. Who knew? (Everyone.)

Who’s we, Karen?

These employees acted fast and they acted effectively.

Think micromanaging is bad in corporate? Try joining the military, says this commenter.

Karen came in looking for control, but left with a lesson in actually trusting her employees.

In the end, common sense prevailed.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.