At Google? Cross org coordination, identifying and prioritizing opportunities, work trading with other teams (you do this and I'll do that), communicating why the team's work matters to mid management that has no idea, helping engineers avoid pitfalls, helping engineers craft project portfolios and a narrative for promotion. Helping engineers develop the right skills to succeed at Google.
So much of this fits under "marketing our value to rest of the org" - which to me (who is convinced democracy matters) says the organisation is lacking ... journalism and open fair competition of ideas.
Having the best idea reliant on top / upper top managers spotting the best idea is ... not great. And I am not convinced that having a "good communicator" as the solution - because what if the well connected manager is on the poorest product solution?
As for the rest - yes google has 8 whatnots for managers that read as a coaching manual - its important yes, but I would be astounded if there are not better things to focus on.
If a good manager is like an army sargeant, who are the colonels and generals? Where is the operational plans? Maybe I just get kept in the dark and fed shit but an open and coherent communication will get people aligned without being micromanaged
Mostly glueing people around. Sounds like a mediocre job, it's as important as writing glue code. Not interesting, but most of the code written nowaway are glue code...
