Managing people isn’t a skill everyone comes to naturally. For so many, becoming a manager is a process of being recognized for having a particular set of skills, and they aren’t always being good at leading people. And if they aren’t trained into the job correctly, they might assume that managing people is as simple as watching them do a job, and correcting them if anything goes wrong, because they know how to do that.

Last week I came across ‘My Boss Wants Us On Zoom All Day Long.’ This article on The Cut features an anonymous employee writing in to Alison Green in a Dear Annie type format, and she specifically raises the problem she’s having that her boss expects the entire office to be on Zoom all day long. The boss in this scenario framed the idea as a path to “establishing a work-life balance,” and to “see our co-workers and feel like we’re back in the office.”

The anonymous submission notes that it’s pretty clear what the whole thing really is, “a poorly disguised attempt to micromanage.”

Now, if you’re a senior leader, you’re probably past the stage where you want to watch all of your employees for an entire shift for fear that someone’s bathroom break goes a little too long. The accepted dynamic has rightfully been decided that you judge people on their results, and not how much time they spend at their desk, be it at the office or at home.