A lot of this can be solved just by telling that to the developers. Sometimes I feel like I'm in some sort of secret don't-let-your-right-hand-know-what-your-left-hand-is-doing style organization. I was trying to meet [artificial] deadlines and putting effort into handling every corner case while a project was doomed due to external factors (lawsuit).

My most productive time is when a manager is honest and willing to explain how the whole thing fits together.