# Workplace Surgery: Leaving a micromanager - **Episode:** [105](https://agents.truthliesandwork.com/episodes/105.md) (2024-06-11) - **Type:** workplace-surgery - **Tags:** workplace, micromanager, leaving - **Time:** 27:42–31:13 (start 1662s) - **Listen:** [https://truthliesandwork.com/105?t=1662](https://truthliesandwork.com/105?t=1662) --- [27:42] Al Elliott: I worked for a micromanager with a superiority complex. Even as a manager, I had to show her presentations before presenting them to customers. She reviewed emails and was always in everyone's business, so it wasn't just me. I couldn't do it anymore. Between her and a change in the corporate culture, I had the means to leave and save, so I left to safeguard what was left of my wellbeing. However, when it comes to interviews, people are going to ask about why I left the previous job. So how do I answer the question, why did you leave? in a graceful manner? [28:14] Leanne Elliott: Good question, and one I get asked a lot, possibly my most frequently asked question as a career coach, actually. And my answer is always the same: project forward. Never spend too much time looking back. At the end of the day, it can feel like a nervous question because you don't want to say anything that's going to make you look bad or look like you're slagging off the previous company. That's going to be a red flag to somebody interviewing you. Um, so I understand it's, it's a tricky question, but actually the The only reason people are asking, really, the intention of that question really is to know how you might talk about their company once you've left it, on the risk that you would have had a bad experience, and how are you then going to talk about their organizational brand, their employer brand, to other businesses out there. They're going to know why you left unless it's, you know, if it's, if it's just that I handed in my notice That's all the reference the company is going to get. If it's for something that happened, an event or a termination or a disciplinary or something like that, that will probably get flagged in, in the reference potentially. So again, this depends very much on where you are in the world. There are some more protective privacy laws around that in the UK. Um, project forward, you know, why did, why did you leave that position? I felt ready for a new challenge. I'm really— which is why I was so excited to see the job that I'm interviewing for today advertised. I really admire how your company does this, how your company does that, how your company works with its customers, works with its people. I think I'd be a really great addition to that culture, um, and I'm excited to be here today and explore this opportunity more. Project forward, my friend [29:57] Al Elliott: I like that. And if you, if you do genuinely— if this person was going for a job and they genuinely did think that the corporate culture was, was better, then I, I would be tempted to say this. Tell me what you think, Lee. I'd be tempted to say, um, and also I really like the freedom that you seem to give here. I've spoken to— I've done a bit of research and it seems like you don't micromanage, which any decent interviewer is probably— [30:18] Leanne Elliott: Positive spin. Always positive spin. Don't say you don't micromanage, you give people autonomy [30:24] Al Elliott: Oh, okay [30:25] Leanne Elliott: Always positive spin [30:26] Al Elliott: See, every day is a school day. Very well answered, Le. I think that's a brilliant bit of advice. And, um, I'll be honest, going back to when I used to have a job, um, I think I went for an interview once and I did exactly that. And I said, um, I left because the manager was— I didn't say, use the word asshole, but it was basically along those lines. And I didn't get the job. It didn't go any further. So now I know why. That was like 30 years ago, and now I know why [30:48] Leanne Elliott: Yeah. And the thing is, if they, if they push you on it, and it can be awkward when someone pushes you on it, because also you don't want to look like you're avoiding the question. Um, but I think you just, you know, you, you just do what you can to project it forward. And if you're really, really pushed, um, then I'd go with something like, I was there for, for 3 years, 2 years, I learned X, Y, and Zed, it was a great experience for this, it was time for me to move on