I came back from a great vacation yesterday, and found myself able to finish six or seven “back-burner” things I’ve had on my plate since about the beginning of time. After a week of vacation, plus the long weekend, this seems as welcome yet unlikely as Tolkien finding courage.

Last year, this wouldn’t have been possible. In fact, I can’t remember a week since college in which I’ve rested as easily. With the exception of an issue where someone needed to yell at talk to the boss, I was completely irrelevant.

Being irrelevant feels weird. I found myself with what seemed like too much time. Of course, too much time is a false economy, as Peopleware guru Tom DeMarco explains in his excellent book Slack, abundant free-time is the root from which exceptional work grows. Dispensable bosses are also what makes companies valuable, and customers confident.

Of course, this wouldn’t be possible without the exceptional work of our team here at Innova. This week reminded me that the work we do to find and build the best team in the business is all worth it. I’m proud of everyone, especially Bruce.

For the conscientious manager, turning responsibility over to your employees can seem daunting. Here are some things that helped us:

• Hire the best. Pay more than expected, and lay on the perks. Then trust people to do the right thing.
• Help people understand the core values. Some of the most difficult times we’ve had are due to different interpretations of what we live for here at Innova.
• Focus on deep understanding, rather than rules or process. Tactics necessarily change, but strategy is more stable. With good understanding, smart people will make the right decisions.
• Remember that smart clients are goal-oriented, not theater-oriented. Managers that stand between workers and clients are either there for show, or there to task-manage and maximize billable hours–neither good for the client.
• Let go. I eased into this by taking small times off to go sailing. With vacation season behind me, I expect that the role I play with our clients will become more valuable and strategic.

Managers, take heart. While our job is to become irrelevant, that is merely an outcome of success. Staying irrelevant is far more challenging than being a cog in the process all the time.