The site safety group needs the imprimatur of a senior leader as important safety matters deserve to be taken seriously - but half their time is spent on carpark speed limits and toasters setting the fire alarm off.

Less experienced managers need a forum where, if there's a part of the management role they're not familiar with, they can get advice. That forum needs some veteran managers - but it needn't be me every week.

Meanwhile, plenty of non-meeting work is very important - a manager also needs to chase up resources their subordinates need. Explain corporate policies and procedures. Approve holidays and expense claims. Review resumes and perform interviews. Evaluate and improve operating procedures. Gather data to support prioritisation decisions. Plan for promotions and raises. And be available for ad-hoc consultation on technical and workplace questions. Make sure employees are filling out their timesheets and doing their mandatory training. And of course answer whatever chat messages or e-mails come in from the guy who signs my raise letters.

And that's for a nontechnical manager - if the manager also wants to be making architectural decisions, doing code reviews, approving production change requests and planning the future roadmap for the product? Well, that's all more non-meeting work.