>does not directly contribute to the work. This is, in my experience, generally not the case. Setting aside all the implicit indirect contributions (support,

>does not directly contribute to the work. This is, in my experience, generally not the case. Setting aside all the implicit indirect contributions (support, development, coaching, personality management, etcetera), managers generally shape work by deciding what work is going to be done, how to mobilize resources, communicating the results outside the team's domain, and being accountable for it. Those are direct, tangible contributions.