Dear Dr. Mimi:
I think I have done a good job at hiring my employees and showing them I care about them. However, I may manage them more than I should. I worry about them, check up on them and have to hold back from helping them every step of the way. This may be annoying to them. I don’t want to be a micromanager, but I also don’t want to neglect them. I’m just wondering how much is too much?
—Micromanager

Dear Micromanager:
When I train on leadership, I often quote Theodore Roosevelt, who once said, “The best executive is the one who has enough sense to pick good people to do what he wants done and enough self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” That said, you have delegated certain tasks to certain people. Now, be confident that you have chosen excellent people to perform those tasks. Set the standard for performance and let staffers find their own ways to achieve it. If you need to know a project’s status before it is due, set up checkpoints ahead of time. For example, tell a staff member that, in three weeks, you will want to know how he or she is doing and whether assistance is needed. Check in at only the scheduled time and not before. When an employee needs help, he or she will ask. Trust your choices and your team members’ capabilities. They will surely make you proud.
—Dr. Mimi