A person who tries to manage even the smallest details of other people's lives; someone who indulges in an extreme form of nannying.
"I can't believe it: he just told me that I should never have more than six paperclips on my desk at one time!" "Yea, he's a real nanomanager."
by ring-tailed roarer December 29, 2009
I could totally complete that project on my own in half the time by my supervisor is such a nanomanager that he has to be involved and make things more complicated.
by Katie Tesla December 12, 2008
Nanomanagement is an extremely poor type of management where the manger not only overmanages their employees' work, but all of the employees' other tasks on a daily basis. This includes but is not limited to delegaing meaningless tasks like copy and pasting information, asking employees to send an email for them, etc.
Instead of giving employees general instructions, room to use their imagination and empowering them, a nanomanager not only assesses every step, but also assigns and manages each little task for each step.
This type of management may be motivated by but not limited to the manager's concern for details, the manager not having any work of their own to do, feeling insecure about their position as manager and having the need to demonstrate their power to their employees.
The effect of nanomanagement will be de-motivated employees, lowered morale, increased resentment and low retention
Instead of giving employees general instructions, room to use their imagination and empowering them, a nanomanager not only assesses every step, but also assigns and manages each little task for each step.
This type of management may be motivated by but not limited to the manager's concern for details, the manager not having any work of their own to do, feeling insecure about their position as manager and having the need to demonstrate their power to their employees.
The effect of nanomanagement will be de-motivated employees, lowered morale, increased resentment and low retention
This nanomanagement is out of control I need to create a project plan just to wipe my ass and make sure my manager is there while I do it!
by Ceraphus February 15, 2010
Would you quit with the f***ing nanomanagement and just let me do my job - you seriously don't have enough to do if you have time to crawl up my a** about every little detail ... Sir.
by Anthony Sheppard April 16, 2005
To manage people at such a fine grained level, so as to try and control their every specific action.
"Great, an email from Lumbergh, telling me how to update the project status. I can't believe he's nanomanaging this project like this."
by WhyWhyZed August 18, 2005
by Smackerz321 January 22, 2009
an intensifier of micromanage
by Treborsca January 12, 2008