Sage

I think all this advice is really good! Another thing I'd suggest is taking a look at yourself and where your stregnths/weaknesses lie in the manager department. Are you really really picky about how things are handled? Do you want to do the work yourself because you feel it has to be done a specific way? If so, I'd suggest looking at magagerial books at B&N, and also taking a deep breath and figuring out how to prioritize the jobs you get at work. Take only 70% of the jobs that come your way (thus reducing your workload) but make sure they're jobs that you feel you HAVE to do personally. I totally think you need to have more communication with your team- you're in a relationship with them, and like any good relationship communication is the key. There's a good managing book out there... don't remember what it was called but it was about a new manager, a sucky department, and a fish stall... long story short the issues that they had were caused by lack of communication. Obviously you're a qualifed person for your job because you have NINE people under you!

Have a meeting, bring cookies and drinks so it's informal, tell everyone what a good job they're doing and lay out a year long plan to improve productivity and increase job skills for everyone involved!

Oh, and another thing- it's totally ok if you don't have the people skills to be a people person- I TOTALLY do not like working in a group, and would prefer to handle things myself. Perhaps if this is the case for you you can set everyone on your team to groupwork and then just wander from group to group making suggestions here and there. That way, you're not in the group (don't have to do group work) but you're putting in your, very important, boss' 2cents.

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