Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 14
Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Human Factors; Procedure
Tower was call for release in North Flow.  Aircraft Y departed VFR northbound.  Tower got release with heading 270 for Aircraft X.  After Aircraft X rolled; Tulsa TRACON called on shout line and FLM (Front Line Manager) answered that line.  TRACON APPREQD Aircraft Y return for landing.  No special handling was requested; just a turn back to downwind.  About a minute later; the LC controller saw Aircraft Y southbound northwest of the airport and asked what Aircraft Y was doing.  The FLM told him he had approved it.  The LC controller asked about the departure on a 270 heading.  The FLM told him to turn the departure to 300 heading; contrary to release given.  The controller issued the 300 heading and then switched the Aircraft X to departure.  Aircraft X reported traffic in sight but did not acknowledge the frequency change.  After traffic was no factor; the FLM told the controller to turn departure to 270 heading.  The controller replied he had already switched.  The FLM then APPREQD a 300 heading.  TRACON called and asked to try Aircraft X again and they were switched to departure.  The FLM said he thought the returning aircraft had some sort of problem. This all happened during all hands meeting concerning conflicts with management over leave policy.  All CPCs (Certified Professional Controller) except the one on LC were in meeting and the Staff Specialist was on Ground.  FLM was CIC.If the controller is too busy to answer the line; FLM should not approve actions out of the ordinary.  If FLM does not have the whole traffic picture; do not approve things out of the ordinary.  If the FLM is going to do things to disrupt a controller's plan; tell them a new plan ' Change Aircraft X to a 300 heading; but don't switch him until he passes Aircraft Y who I approved back inbound.'   A request to return for landing is not automatically an emergency to be approved without question.
RVS Tower controller reports of an aircraft that just departed having to return to the airport. The Front Line Manager answers the phone line and coordinates with departure control and coordinates things that aren't common. The controller then gets confused as what to do with his next departure and the returning aircraft.