What Effective General Managers Really Do

They chat about hobbies, hold spur-of-the-moment meetings, and seek out people far from their chain of command—all to combat the uncertainty and resistance inherent in their work.

by John P. Kotter

Here is a description of a typical day in the life of a successful executive, in this case the president of an investment management firm.

7:35 a.m. Michael Richardson arrives at work after a short commute, unpacks his briefcase, gets some coffee, and begins a to-do list for the day.

7:40 Jerry Bradshaw arrives at his office, which is right next to Richardson’s. One of Bradshaw’s duties is to act as an assistant to Richardson.

7:45 Bradshaw and Richardson converse about a number of topics. Richardson shows Bradshaw some pictures he recently took at his summer home.

8:00 They talk about a schedule and priorities for the day. In the process, they touch on a dozen different subjects relating to customers and employees.

8:20 Frank Wilson, another subordinate, drops in. He asks a few questions about a personnel problem and then joins in the ongoing discussion, which is straightforward, rapid, and occasionally punctuated with humor.

8:30 Fred Holly, the chair of the firm and Richardson’s boss, stops in and joins in the conversation. He asks about an appointment scheduled for 11 o’clock and brings up a few other topics as well.

8:40 Richardson leaves to get more coffee. Bradshaw, Holly, and Wilson continue their conversation.