Understand that as a developer, you are more important than me. It is likely you make more money than I do (at most organizations I have been in).
But, say something goes wrong. The defect is then tracked back to your work. What happens? (PS. this is purely hypothetical, I just want to make it imaginable for you).
We talk, and I may bring up "Five Whys". Are you familiar with this technique? Assume you are not. We may discuss the role of process. Not for process sake, but process improvement. To make your life easier. Since you spend 1/3 of your life at work, you have an interest in this. I then suggest you google this, and that we should carry on this discussion in (say) a weeks time.
Note that this entire discussion takes 30 minutes. The follow-up will take 30 minutes a day over 4 days, but you will be doing the bulk of the talking. Because you want to.
I don't get angry with you. I shield you as much as possible. But (again, this is hypothetical), this is your mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. What is interesting is that you know more about fixing this than I do. After all, I am but your manager. I want to teach you techniques to learn from what happens, listen, and propose approaches.
See? That is management. I will let you push the idea(s) to others. Actually, the modification of the idea that works for you.
Initially, I find I drive the conversation. But, as people become comfortable with me, they drive the dialog. I facilitate and eliminate problems to productivity.
Now, for the bonus answer -- rule #2 for an effective manager is to deal with issues immediately. Your desk should always be clear (as best as possible). I maintain all current open issues on a white-board, where status is immediately inspectable.
Back to "5 Whys" -- if I think that will be valuable to more people, I may create a training session -- which will be referred to in the 1 on 1s. And this is how I would manage a larger group (7 to 11 people). And, the value I can provide to being a "manager of managers"; value to the people I am indirectly managing.
Yes, I try to give 30 minutes a day for every team member.
Tbh you sound like a terrible manager. I imagine some developer rolling his eyes as he gets called into your office to hear another technique blathered at him for a defect he couldn't have possibly prevented. His coworkers took him out for beers later where they cheered him up with jokes at your expense. You weren't there of course, you're not their friends.
An important part of a manager's job is helping keep self-centered self-unaware primadonnas contributing productivity to the team, despite their short-sighted immature attitude. It's rather like parenting in that respect.
Personally, I have a weekly 30min-ish 1:1 with each of my team members + an extra monthly 1:1 to talk personal development. Most weeks there's an ad hoc 1:1 with at least a couple of them to talk about project issues they need help with, or to brainstorm new ideas. Overscheduling is unreasonable (almost dictatorial), especially because employees see meetings as formal events governed by specific norms.
As a manager, my job is to help you succeed through managing the "what" and "how" of your work. I also manage the "whys", but those are what often come out in casual interactions rather than formal meetings.
I also focus cycles on "who" and "where", but most of that is personal reflection on how things are going. Still management, but may not be visible to you, and may be me spending time in discussion with my manager & peers.
