[waivej]

I'm not sure I agree with the estimating thing. Though I've only met one developer/manager that is good at estimating. He works at a steady pace and doesn't cave when people want things faster. It's tough at first but once you deliver on time, they respect your estimates.

He's also the only guy that I know that buys new cars with cash. He just puts away a "car payment" every month. When the old car wears out, he buys a new one.

It's tough to manage people that aren't pulling their weight. Take time to listen to what signals they are giving. If they want to work, help remove their obstacles. If not, do what you need to so the productive people don't get dragged down.