Your team has responsibilities, and so do you. Just because a task wasn’t assigned to you, it means it’s your problem anymore. It is still your problem, because you are directing your team towards the goal. You don’t just sit there and stare at the monitor for hours. You have to check your staff and see if they need anything. Obviously, they are part of your responsibility as a manager.
Be sympathetic. You don’t have to cry with someone who has just broken up with her fiancé. But you could tell her persuade her to focus her energies at work. Make a connection with your team. Laugh with them; let them know you’re still human despite the professional “wall” that’s separating you. A good manager ditches the ice-queen façade. She becomes a mentor to her subordinates. The meaningful relationship you build with your team pays off when they reward you with their loyalty and honest service. Admit your mistakes, for this encourages your staff to be humble also. Management isn’t for someone who doesn’t enjoy being with people. Whether you like it or not, you to tag them along in case there’s a new idea springing from your box. Include them in your plans. They’re people with talents waiting to be tapped, not puppets with strings to be pulled.
