I manage a group of people who operate and maintain telecommunications equipment. If the equipment works reliably, people are happy. If it doesn't, then we have the whole company breathing down our necks. I really don't think a person in my role can do a whole lot to improve the reliability of our network, though. Once the equipment is installed and working, we pretty much leave it alone.
To the extent your job is a manager/leader, your priorities should be
1) Care and feeding of the people in your group. I.e., do unto them as you wish someone would do to you if you were in their positions.
2) Working with others at your level in other parts of the company to ensure your group is, and is perceived to be, helpful to the overall company.
If you are expected to do "real work" (i.e., operate/fix/improve the equipment) then you have to weave that into the previous items.
At least, that's my $0.02. If in doubt, do what your boss (and boss's boss) value.
Thanks for the feedback. I agree about the two priorities for a manager. I think part of my problem is that I'm not sure if I'm expected to do the hands-on type of work that my group does. I'm certain I could learn to do it if someone would teach me, but my background is in a different area so I really don't know how to operate most of the equipment that my group maintains. I also question whether or not someone in a management role needs to be able to do that type of work. This all goes back to the main problem I have - the expectations for my job have never been clearly explained to me.
I think you've probably figured it out and just don't believe that you can occupy a position that's so unproductive and, in good times, seemingly purposeless. Middle management is a buffer between the labor and the upper management. Things can get to the point where your job is hard, which is when labor and upper management have different ideas as to what the labor should be doing. So congrats on finding a functional place for the moment.
1 and 2 above are helpful, and I advocate that 1 be as high on your list as possible because it will make your life easier when your job starts to get difficult. 2 never hurts. But your real job (if you want to keep it and keep life easy) is to make the upper up, who ousted your predecessor and put you in their place, happy. So what does that mean? Unfortunately, politics.
Make them feel responded to. If they come to you with a request, don't argue with them about how it's impossible. Don't tell them the worker bees aren't going to like it. They either know or are out of touch enough they don't want to hear it. They have pressure from above and shit flows downhill. So it's "yes sir!" and then reports on how you fixed things for them. At worst, "yes, but... ", where what follows is that you need something, money, time, other resources, strings pulled in department X. Never no, though what you ask for might make it a no anyway. Not your no, though, that cursed director of department X's no.
But, pursuant to 1 above, you get to be the umbrella for your little group. If you make sure most of the shit doesn't get to them, they'll like you and work well for you. Never forget that. As much as possible, somebody with your job is to deflect the shit so the people that do work can get it done and the company can make money despite anything happening above. Your true showing of skill in your position will be how well you can keep both sides happy, probably without the resources needed to have any impact above pleading with people. That's where 1 above will save your bacon. And remember to solve the problem, not just do what the boss says blindly.
Make them look good. Your upcoming review is a good place to do that. One of your strengths is probably faithfully implementing all the clear direction that manager gave you. "But omachi," you say, "I have no direction, much less clear! That's the whole point of this thread!" Well, you did implement every last bit of the clear direction you received, didn't you? Congrats, "all" rarely gets to be a weasel word, but it sure is here. If it makes you feel any better, nobody, including your boss, actually cares about the review. They need a way to justify your pending cost of living adjustment. If they actually cared, they sure as hell wouldn't have you write your own review. Talk about letting the fox into the hen house.
Make them know you're on their side. Your predecessor was probably ousted not for honesty but for inability to play politics. There's a time and place for honesty, and it's never when you're going to make your boss look bad. If you're in a meeting and your boss says something obviously wrong, don't correct them in front of everybody. If your boss is wrong, called out on it, and turns to you for backup, you believe what your boss said but don't have the specifics with you. You'd be happy to get them, though. After the meeting, go talk with the boss and gently make the correction. "We only booked all that work, and my team is still completing it. It will be done at such and such a time." That's clear, honest, and shows whose side you're on. Your boss needs allies, and being a good ally is a good way to be valued.