• If the project is complex, cognitively demanding and highly creative, one has to engage in a deep manner in the short term, but non-engagement(path clearing) in the long term.
• The manager has to step in when an employee has come upon an obstacle which cannot be taken care of by som...

• Micromanagement has a bad reputation, and team members want to work autonomously, not being watched all the time and told what to do.
• Managers, however, cannot be held guilty in most cases, as team members doing complex work often need extensive help

Successful managers don’t preempt every obstacle a team member encounters but watch and listen, looking for the right time to pitch in. If someone is already stuck in the challenge, first-hand, they are engaged enough to take the advice in a positive manner.

Lending the hand at the right t...