Verb
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see fight, fire.
(idiomatic) To deal with urgent matters and minor emergencies rather than longer-term work.
I spent all of Monday fighting fires and didn't get a single thing done on my project.
Basically, managing is about influencing action. Managing is about helping organizations and units to get things done, which means action. Sometimes, managers manage actions directly. They fight fires. They manage projects. They negotiate contracts. Henry Mintzberg