Manager Interview Assignment

Student to solicit and conduct a face to face interview with a local business manager.  The selected business manager must have a minimum of 5 Direct Reports that he or she manages within a company.

Manager Name:                _______________________________________

Manager Company:              _______________________________________

Manager Phone #:              _______________________________________

Part 1:  Questions for Manager Interviewees

1. What do you find most rewarding in your job as a manager?
2. What knowledge and skills are most valuable/most important in your role as a manager?
3. What are some of the major activities that you “do” as a manager?
4. What are the greatest challenges that you face as a manager?
5. What is your “secret sauce” for getting the best performance out of your Direct Reports?
6. How do you motivate your Direct Reports? 
7. How do your Direct Reports know if they are performing well or performing poorly?
8. What methods of communication do you find to be the most effective?  Why are they effective?
9. Do you conduct performance reviews with your Direct Reports?  If so, what is your process and how often do you conduct these reviews?
10. How do you know if your Direct Reports are performing well or performing poorly?  What do you consider to be the most important measures (metrics) for evaluating the performance of your Direct Reports and why?
11. Describe a management mistake that you made.  What did you learn from it?
12. Can you tell me about an important goal that you were able to achieve as a manager?  What were the key steps, the process, etc. involved in achieving that goal?
13. Can you describe a time when you were faced with a really difficult decision?  How did you decide?  What method, what criteria did you use to reach a decision?
14. In general, what does it take to make good decisions?  To be a good decision maker?
15. Looking back at your years in school, are there any subjects that you wished you had studied more closely that would have helped you as a manager? 
16. Are there any activities you wish you had pursued while in school that would have helped to better prepare you for management?
17. What is the most unpleasant part of being a manager?
18. If I could limit you to just 2 pieces of advice, what would be your 2 very best management “tips” for me? 
19. Any other questions that you may think of, and or, additional comments from your Manager interviewee:

Part 2:  Evaluation of the interview

              Review the answers provided by your interviewee.  Evaluate the content and feedback.  What do you agree with and why?  What do you disagree with and why?

Part 3:  Management Philosophy

              Based upon your prior personal and professional experience, and your current level of experience, please summarize and explain your management philosophy.  What principles and values will guide and direct your activity?  What is your view of employees relative to the management process?  What about customers?  If you were to assume a management position tomorrow, what would be your approach to the job?  Explain.