Let people get on with their work.

I enjoy sitting back and letting the people who report to me do their jobs without disturbance.  This has both pluses and minuses attached to it.

Positives.

• Workers feel empowered to do their jobs.
• Workers have the power and freedom to make changes and implement best practices as they see fit.
• Workers have key responsibility areas and they held to account for those areas according to central reporting procedures.
• I allow each worker to have a specific area of knowledge and responsibility that each of the others could do but don't because they allow the information expert to cover it.

Negatives.

• There are times when I may not provide enough guidance in smaller matters.
• Workers sometimes look to others for guidance and leadership if they feel that I am not interested in what they are doing.
• Workers don't ask for new tasks as quickly as they could when their work load dries up.

How do I manage the good and the bad?

• Daily catch ups and reports.  Every day I speak to all each member of my team and get a quick overview of what they are working on and what their priorities are for the day.  This is done in an informal and casual way.
• Use central timelines and reports to keep people honest.  Each person knows what the timelines are for work expectations and administrative support.  I don't need to wave a big stick because the accountabilities are already in place.
• Let people create and understand the peculiar rythms of each of their particular roles.

In management (as with most areas of life) one size doesn't fit all - all the time.  Know your workers, find out what motivates them and then set them free to do what they are best at.