
My best manager did this - mooreds
http://ask.metafilter.com/300002/My-best-manager-did-this
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bajsejohannes
> My best manager let me really dig in and do my job without interference.

I also had a manager who was really hands off and just let me do my thing. He
was my favorite at the time. However, years later, I had a manager who was
much more actively engaged. We discussed a lot of problems and solutions on a
weekly basis. In those conversations I would also get a very clear sense of
the team's and company's priorities. He must have doubled my value as a
developer; at least. That wasn't just good for the company, but also felt
great.

So while micro-management is clearly bad, I now know that there is something
better than a hands-off manager.

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chrisbennet
My best manager: I don't recall him ever telling me (or anyone) to do
something. He would say something like "Can we add something like this?" Or
"It would really helpful if it could do this." Instead of telling us what to
do, he acted like a "target designator" so the engineers knew the target we
were trying to hit. Once we knew what he wanted we would do our best to make
it. The guy was also a talented hands-on engineer and fun to work with.

~~~
zzalpha
Put more succinctly: tell them what and why, let them figure out how.

Aka, the golden rule of the Product Owner/Manager.

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hkmurakami
Common thread: does the manager prioritize himself or put the team ahead of
his interests.

~~~
hga
On the other hand, if he does not put sufficient effort into his own
interests, how long before he's replaced by someone who does? I.e. Pournelle's
Iron Law of Bureaucracy.

~~~
isxek
Balance is probably the key.

