A while ago I was talking to a very distressed woman...after 2 years of being in a management position she'd never had a day off. Not a single day off. To say she was shattered was an understatement. Stress was taking its toll on her but it was now affecting her health; her family and her relationship. Something had to give.

This person worked as a manager in a very succesful cafe. It was busy 7 days a week and although it was a great business, it suffered from high labour turnover. The one thing that was wrong with it was its manager.

You see our friend had never taken a day off because she hadn't allowed herself too. She did get her days off...but went into work anyway. She went in to do the tasks she had never bothered to train anyone else to do. You see, this manager was old school. Stuck in a world where knowledge was power and a manager had to be there every second to catch people out, and now she was reaping the rewards of constant recruitment; lack of sleep; stress; panic attacks and a potential divorce.

Being a manager doesn't have to be hard...so what can our friend do differently?

1. Train

When people are trained, not only are they competent to do a job, but you're also giving them variety and you peace of mind. Most people have a specialist area in their job...so have a think about multi-skilling. It'll give you more cover in busier periods and is a great way to motivate people.

2. Delegate and then trust them to do the job

If you're going to delegate then you also need to empower. It's really no fun getting a job to do and then having someone look over your shoulder whilst you do it. Trust that you've trained them well, and give them the confidence to come and ask if they're unsure or have a question.

3. Praise

It's free, and works wonders. Look for all the great things your people are doing everyday.

4. Accept that mistakes happen

This is hard as no-one likes mistakes. But, they do happen so take it on the chin! When they happen, instead of kicking off...ask what they've learnt.

5. Have a succession plan

If you want to go further up the career ladder then you'll get there a lot faster when you've got your job covered. Train your successor and give them the responsibility to do your job when you're not there. Remember the mark of a good manager is how well the team runs in your absence.

How many more can you think of?