What Effective General Managers Really Do

General Managers (GMs) with highly structured workdays and rigid schedules close off channels - such as chatting in hallways and calling impromptu meetings - that would otherwise provide vital information and valuable relationships. Unplanned and unstructured activities help GMs address two critical challenges: figuring out what to do and winning widespread cooperation. The key tools for meeting these challenges are flexible agendas and broad networks of relationships. With flexible agendas, GMs capitalize on unanticipated opportunities that emerge in day-to-day events. With broad networks, GMs can use impromptu encounters to exert influence far beyond their chain of command.