My general assessment of mentoring and micromanagement is that they originate from different objectives. The first is about developing the IC for their long-term effectiveness. The latter is about meeting deadlines and promises made by the manager, satisfying their manager/vp, and/or general insecurity because they don't fully understand the development process/cadence, technology, etc. A good manager can certainly also be a good mentor. One typically described as a micromanager, not so much.
I don't disagree, but micromanagement is a loaded term with a negative connotation to begin with. The fact is, whether a certain manager or tech lead behavior is considered micromanagement is highly dependent on the IC's experience, skillset and their ability to deliver on higher-level goals. There's a continuum between micromanagement, coaching, and abdication. As a manager you want to stay in the coaching zone, but what that means depends on the project and individuals in play.
