Say 'yes' to management, 'no' to micromanagement Micromanagement may sound slim, but it isn't. It gobbles up the time, energy and focus you need for other tasks. Resist the urge to constantly check up on everyone and everything. Once your employees know your expectations, assume they'll follow through. Check in with them at pre-planned intervals, review their work and hold them accountable for its quality. Spend the time saved completing the executive management tasks that are actually part of your job description.

I recommend:  Rewards Nation is an online resource you can use to inspire, motivate and reward your employees for showing initiative and producing quality work. When employees feel more appreciated, you'll feel less of a need to micromanage. You'll also find a few helpful tips on how to avoid the pitfalls of micromanagement at EvanCarmichael.com.

Foster communication between company management and employees, but guard your private time Let employees know when you're not to be disturbed, yet exercise an open-door policy at appropriate times. If you're serious about both time and business management, solutions like these will be the order of the day for your company: Never allow 'upward delegation' of tasks; encourage employee collaboration and peer mentoring, instead. This will benefit both you and your staff, as you proactively free up more time for your own work and they learn to accept greater responsibility for theirs.

I recommend:  Automate, delegate or outsource any non-management tasks that don’t require your personal expertise or oversight. You might try STAR 360 Feedback employee evaluation software or consider its outsourcing program. Also, try the OnlineOrganizing.com Delegation Checklist for a comprehensive set of important points to consider when delegating, or the Clickable Office for a great group of tips for preventing interruptions to your work. (Click the image of the angry boss.)

Develop, equip and empower your staff, and free yourself for company management Arrange for training to better equip your staff to do their jobs. Provide the needed tools, resources and authority. Then, as their experience, competence and confidence grow, begin giving them greater latitude for independent decisionmaking. Free both yourself and your team from the burden of having to give or receive approval for everything done.

I recommend:  Downloadable training courses are available from SoftSkillsCourseware.com, including Sales and Marketing and Career Development training. You'll also find guidance on employee training in American Management Association’s Performance and Profits e-newsletter and tips and techniques for inspiring your team in the AMA Leader’s Edge e-newsletter.

Get the best advice about company management Tending to your own ongoing leadership growth will help you run your business or department with increasing effectiveness. One way to gain greater managerial insight is by using management consulting services. You may also attend local or not-too-distant seminars or workshops or take online courses or webinars, where you'll have access to all the latest business management information, strategies and techniques.

I recommend:  Consider using consulting firms that offer business management services, such as Accenture or BCG (Boston Consulting Group). Signing up for American Management Association’s Moving Ahead e-newsletter will also provide insights into better management techniques. BusinessTrainingMedia.com offers numerous Management/Supervisory Skills e-seminars, and SoftSkillsCourseware.com provides Management Training courseware, as well.

Seek business management information from business management consulting firms Management consulting firms can evaluate your company's current management style and make recommendations for improvement and modification. Business management services from these firms also offer an intensive and personalized approach to training your managers to be more effective leaders.

I recommend:  Find a management coach--and receive a free consultation--through The Coach Connection. Roundhouse Advisors offers management consulting for everything from growth strategies to establishing infrastructure to responding to market influences. And, the company emphasizes the role of the management team in bringing about these changes.

Send your executive management to workshops or seminars There are management training seminars and workshops that cover everything from general principles to more specific topics like employee involvement, embracing diversity and guiding a company through change. These highly specific programs are ideal if there's a narrow area that needs improvement, rather than a major overhaul of management style.

I recommend:  The American Management Association offers management seminars covering everything from delegating to high-impact decision making. The AMA holds seminars across the country, in locations including Boston, Los Angeles, Dallas and other major cities. National Seminars offers management training seminars focusing on everything from leadership skills for women to assertiveness skill for first-time managers.

Conduct your own management training with videos or online business management solutions Maybe your management staff just needs to brush up on basic principles, or could use an introduction to new ideas. By purchasing training videos or kits, or using online courses, you can train your entire management team in-house, without trying to budget for expensive tuition or consulting fees, and without using work hours to meet with a coach or send employees to a two- or three-day class.

I recommend:  Employee University offers instructional videos on essential management skills like employee coaching and evaluation, group dynamics and managing change. The Richardson Company offers training videos for managers, on topics ranging from project management to guiding your employees to excellence.

Get the latest business management information through e-newsletters Email newsletters may provide the most current information about business management because they're delivered right to your inbox every week or even every day.

I recommend:  BetterManagement's free eNewsletters focus on everything from basic management information to industry-specific news to regional topics. The Economist offers Management Thinking, a free weekly e-newsletter featuring highlights of the magazine's management coverage. Management-Issues, a website dedicated to today's changing workplace, also offers a free email newsletter.

Find timely and relevant business management information through professional associations Associations for management professionals emphasize learning about and using the newest trends and management, and they help their members learn about new practices through articles, newsletters or seminars. For management news and trends specific to your industry or field, consult the websites for your industry's professional associations, which usually include a news section.

I recommend:  The Southern Management Association serves management professionals at colleges, universities and business firms, and publishes the Journal of Management. The Society for Human Resource Management features articles on issues affecting human resource managers on its website.

For in-depth information on business management solutions, turn to management magazines If you're looking for an in-depth analysis of the latest trends in management, including examples of how they've worked for other companies, and a look at their pros and cons, management magazines may offer the most relevant information.

I recommend:  Workforce Management magazine offers both print and online editions. Or, get industry-specific management information with magazines like Credit Union Management.