Paper , Order, or Assignment Requirements

Choose someone to interview with whom you are familiar—ideally, someone whom you know well. The individual should report to in the present, or have reported to in the past, one or more managers. Ask her or him for some time—perhaps you can sit down for coffee—during which you can describe your course learning objectives and discuss what you have so far taken away from the class (in brief). Ask your interviewee what insights she or he has to offer to you about what makes a good manager.

The goal of the interview is to gain insight into what makes a good manager from the perspective of the employee. Some topics to touch on in the interview could include the following:

• Does your interviewee have a favorite manager that he or she has worked with? Ask for an explanation of why this manager is a favorite.
• What does your interviewee believe makes a strong manager?
• Does your interviewee aspire to be a manager someday?
• What does your interviewee believe it means to be an effective leader (as opposed to the popular view of what a successful leader is and/or does)?
• What roles do managerial goals, objectives, decision-making, and communication play in the job on a regular basis?
• How does the interviewee handle changes at his/her organization and what specific challenges have she or he encountered with managers in the past?
• Does your interviewee have experience with internships, volunteering, and professional certifications? Have they found any, or all, to be important to career development, or securing a position as a manager?
• What advice does you interviewee offer to someone who is looking to become a manager?