Management blog (Adam Jones): "Can you give me a pay rise?" is not the hardest question an underling can throw at his or her boss. "What do you do all day?" is often the killer.

The contribution of a good manager to a team's performance can be subtle to the point of appearing non-existent. After all, they aren't out in the trenches closing sales, devising new products or doing other things that are instantly recognisable as work.