Summary.
Most managers wish they could give their team members more attention than they’re able to. But when someone on your team seems to require more of your time than the rest, how should you handle it? Diagnose. Reflect on the source of your employee’s neediness. Talk to him about your observations of his behavior. Ask: “How can I better support you?” Connect. Carve out time in your schedule to connect more regularly with your report. Those five extra minutes a day can really matter. Offer training. If your employee is struggling with a task, marshal resources to make sure she gets what she needs. Experiment with peer coaching, too. Praise. Incorporate positive feedback into your one-on-one meetings. Sometimes you need to reassure an employee who’s doing a good job that he is, in fact, doing a good job. Model healthy boundaries. You’re not helping your team members grow if you’re constantly available.
As a manager, you probably wish you could give all the people on your team more attention. But sometimes certain employees seem to need more than their fair share of your time. Maybe they repeatedly ask you to review their work, look for constant feedback, or regularly show up at your desk to chat. What do you do about that needy person on your team? How do you balance being a responsive manager with the need to get your own work done? And how should you manage your frustration?