Status-chasing is not management.

A lot of teams still spend part of the day doing one thing over and over: asking people what changed.

Did this move?
Did anyone reply?
Is the draft final?
Did the handoff happen?
Are we still waiting?

That work usually shows up as “management,” but most of it is just system repair.

If the status lives in someone’s head, someone else has to go dig it out.
If the blocker is real but invisible, people waste time guessing.
If the next step depends on a check-in, the workflow still has a hole in it.

A better system does not need constant status hunting. The work should show where it is. The owner should be obvious. The stall should be visible before somebody asks.

A lot of “keeping everyone aligned” is really a sign that the workflow still needs work.