They say
“You’re micromanaging me.”
Your response
“I don’t want you to feel watched. I do need confidence that the work is on track. What level of visibility would give you room to work and give me the information I need?”
First, check this
What specific, recent behavior makes you question their readiness, judgment, or follow-through—and have you told them, or are you expecting them to infer it from your oversight?
Why this works
The disagreement is rarely just about the number of check-ins. The employee believes they have earned more autonomy; the manager may have a different view of their capability, judgment, or reliability. Putting those assessments into words—and testing them against specific examples—makes the real disagreement discussable. It also forces the manager to say what greater independence depends on.
Don’t say
“If I could trust you, I wouldn’t have to micromanage.”