Overmanaging

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Excessively controlling or directing a process, task, or group beyond what is necessary or helpful
2. Taking charge or managing a situation with too much interference or oversight, hindering efficiency or autonomy
3. Over-involving oneself in the management of activities or people to a degree that may be counterproductive

Etymology: "Overmanaging" is the present participle and gerund of "overmanage", a verb built from the prefix "over-" attached to "manage". The prefix means excessively or beyond the appropriate amount, so the verb describes managing or controlling something too much. "Manage" itself goes back to the Italian "maneggiare", meaning to handle or train horses, from the Latin "manus", hand. Early English uses were tied to handling horses and then to the wider sense of directing affairs. Adding "over-" to such a familiar verb is a straightforward English formation, which is why the meaning is transparent: the word simply says that someone has gone past the proper limit of handling or directing.

Synonyms: micromanaging, overseeing, supervising, controlling, domineering

Antonyms: delegating, trusting, empowering, liberating, allowing