Interview on Management
Does your interviewee have a favourite manager that they have worked with?
His current manager is his favourite.
Ask for an explanation of why this manager is a favourite.
He has a macro-management style, very hands-off. He hired me as a project manager; he trusts me to use my knowledge and my people skills to ensure that projects are completed and that all deadlines have been met. Even though his style is macro-management, I feel I can go to him with any questions or anything I am struggling with, and he will help me find the solution. To me, this management style is very hands-off but is still there to make sure you do not fail.
What does your interviewee believe makes a strong manager?
People’s skills, trust, knowledge, keeping a positive attitude, realistic expectations.
What does your interviewee believe makes a weak manager?
Opposite of all the above, so lack of trust, whether it is me being able to trust the manager, or the manager not having confidence with their employees, constantly having to micromanage. Lack of knowledge, they are unable to help when the employee is struggling—being negative, abusive, dismissive—just having that personality where the employee cannot go to the manager with any issues or problems they may have.
Does your interviewee aspire to be a manager someday? Why or why not?
Difficult question, unsure at this time. I am currently a project manager, which involves managing people, just no direct reports. I really like what I do now. I could see myself enjoying working with people, but as of now, I am content managing my projects.
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 does)?
I would say an effective leader leads by example, builds or maintains high team morale, is available to listen to any issues employees may have.
What roles do goals, objectives, decision making, and communication play on the job on a regular basis?
To me, goals and objectives are the same things: to complete something by deadlines, safely, accurately—decision making nonstop daily, constantly making decisions, processes, the order etc. In my opinion, this is a prominent role in all jobs as everything revolves around the decisions that are made. Communication is the most important of all the items listed here. It is imperative to make sure the contact is accurate. Make sure you’re getting your point across and is understood by the other party. This can be very costly if communication is not clear and concise.
How does the interviewee handle change at their organization, and what specific challenges have they encountered with managers in the past?
Handle changes. If it is a change, I have no control over, like a new policy, I go with it “it is what it is”. Specific challenges I had encountered with changes back when I worked for a retail company, and they changed the number of accessories that had to be sold with this new device. I could not find myself pushing unnecessary products to people that did not need them. In those cases, I did what was best for the customer and to the rath for not making these products that were simply useless to them.
What advice does your interviewee offer to someone who is looking to become a manager?
I would say strive for exceptional people skills. You will keep a positive attitude, gain co-workers and managers trust and maintain it. Be a good person in life in general. Lead by example. Build team morale.
Leadership Percepts
Leadership entails several factors, including creating a vision, exhibiting a strong focus on goal attainment, and pushing this to accomplishment; authentic leadership, however, goes much beyond this. All these aspects are deconstructed to sincerity and collaboration. It is about background and morality, not just outcomes. True leaders produce results because they understand what it means to be a leader. It enables them to withstand storms and outperform when circumstances are extraordinary. Trust is the foundation of all meaningful conversations and is required for the development of industry, client, and internal team relationships, all of which are indicators of leadership. In its most basic form, it is referred to as sticking to individual principles and honoring obligations, no matter how difficult it is to do so (Chang et al., 2017). It is critical to be fair and never act unilaterally. Leaders who lose the confidence of others or who do not pull their customers or other workers along with them before implementing necessary adjustments do not last long as leadership.
Leaders should build relationships effectively communicating, even when it is difficult. They interact in all directions, up, down, and sideways. They have extensive knowledge, actively share it, and inspire their employees to develop. They detect knowledge gaps so that no erroneous perceptions are formed. They offer a thorough picture and stand firm in their beliefs. Making an offer to assist, especially when the situation is dire, is a high-risk personal choice. But the payoff, which is gained trust, is well worth it.
Management failure or weakness lies precisely in the fact that the leader is not able to be open to employees and build trusting relationships with them. The manager, as a leader, must guide and support the activities of his followers, and not suppress them. Employees must trust not only the expertise of the leader but also his personal qualities. While a manager should not be a friend to the employees, the manager should be a professional partner and mentor. Management failure and weakness presuppose precisely the absence of such relationships and the inability to build them.
According to the leader-member interaction idea, the sort of interaction leaders has with their followers is critical to understanding how leaders affect employees. Leaders develop many forms of relationships with their staff. The leader establishes a trusting relationship with the member in high-quality LMX partnerships. The leader and members get along well, support one other when required, and appreciate one another. In these partnerships, both the leader and the individual are willing to go above and beyond their job duties to help the other achieve. In reduced LMX relationships, on the other hand, the leader and membership have lower degrees of trust, like, and respect for one other. These interactions do not have to include overtly hating each other, but the dialogues between the leadership and the member do not go beyond their formal job requirements. In other words, the member executes their work, the leader gives rewards and punishments, and the relationship does not include great degrees of devotion or duty to each other.
Another important aspect is the empowerment of the followers and the promotion of the desire and ability to make decisions. The manager as a leader not only possesses extensive knowledge but also actively stimulates personal and professional growth in his or her employees. The mentoring position in this situation assumes that the leader is able to provide consulting support to his subordinates. Additionally, the leader can inspire employees to develop their skills and overcome difficulties in their professional activities. The leader’s failure to provide expert support and development to his people can also be seen as a management weakness.
Manager flaws are characteristics that might make the way users manage their team ineffective. Manager flaws might include poorly developed talents, qualities, and behaviors that have a detrimental impact on your management. As a manager, it is critical to understand your flaws so that you may strive to overcome them and transform them into strengths. This may raise the productivity of the team, boost employee morale, and improve the overall environment of the office. Poor communication is a significant issue for managers. They must be able to communicate effectively since they are responsible for delivering orders and feedback to their staff, making written reports, and doing other activities that need interaction (Gamil and Rahman, 2017). Another management flaw is failing to listen to the team. As a manager, it is critical to listen to employees in decision-making in order to better yourself and the company. Another typical manager flaw is a lack of trust. Managers must have tremendous self-confidence since they are leaders in their organization. Because the people you lead are likely to mimic your actions, showing confidence can assist you in teaching them more successfully.
Poor decision-making is another prevalent shortcoming for managers that significantly affects all company activities. Making effective and right decisions is a fundamental job obligation of managers (Christie et al., 2020). Hence, it is critical to have practical decision-making abilities in order to become a competent manager. One can make better judgments by developing a decision-making process that includes completing research, analyzing, and selecting the best alternative. Another issue for managers is their failure to motivate their teams. Managers are accountable for inspiring their staff to be productive and grow professionally.
Employees want to know that the manager has their best interests in mind, while bosses want to see that they can rely on their subordinates to do a good job. Developing a culture of trust fosters a good environment that stimulates employees and boosts productivity. A well-thought-out employee incentives program may go a long way toward motivating your staff and enhancing productivity. While there are many typical ways for businesses to recognize their staff, a rewards plan is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, consider what works best for your team, and make them accessible and adequately sized.
Within the existing consideration of leadership models, addressing the described manager failures and weaknesses can be based on the development of key leadership skills. The most common theories such as transformational and transactional leadership prioritize communication and motivation (Galli, 2019). For a manager, it is critical to inspire employees to achieve common goals, as well as to create a shared vision. It is necessary for a manager to constantly communicate with employees, explore their needs and values, and articulate their role in achieving the company’s goals. Identifying employee needs is key to addressing and eliminating potential management failures.
The servant leadership model in this regard also underscores the importance of developing the talents of employees and inspiring them to grow. These aspects involve not only the development of knowledge and skills of subordinates but also the provision of opportunities for decision-making. As noted in the interview, for a leader, micromanagement should not be a routine and a priority. It is important for a manager to delegate tasks and equip employees with the tools to complete them.
Theories of motivation in leadership describe what factors push people to take action. It is noteworthy that these theories, including Maslow’s hierarchy, Herzberg’s theory, or McGregor’s Theory X/Theory Y, are based on identifying the needs of employees (Anderman, 2020). In particular, based on the individual values of the subordinate, it is important for the manager to develop an appropriate motivational strategy that would directly target the needs of a particular employee. The basis of the process of developing the right motivational strategy is communication and decision-making. In particular, it is critical for a leader to identify the needs of the worker through communication, and to make decisions based on the information received. It is important to remember that every employee has individual needs and values that need to be addressed. It is important for a leader not to put pressure on a subordinate, but to align his professional tasks with individual views.
As noted in the interview, the best advice for becoming an exemplary manager is to develop people skills. In particular, for a good manager, employee, or person in general, it is important to maintain a positive attitude and gain trust. These aspects involve improving not only communication skills but also developing empathy and attention to the needs of other people. The interviewee suggests being a good person in life in general in order to achieve professional success. I think this advice is essential for considering the principles of becoming an exemplary worker or manager. As part of the course, I was able to understand what specific principles can help achieve this goal.
First of all, relationships with colleagues, subordinates, or superiors based on trust and mutual respect are the key to professional effectiveness. Communication within a team or company allows all employees to work towards a common goal, share experiences and provide support. These aspects are impossible without considering the values and needs of the individual. When working in a team, it is extremely important for managers and employees to take into account the views of all its members and adjust the strategy for performing tasks with them in mind. It is critical to maintaining a sense of the value and importance of each employee in order to ensure healthy and long-term motivation.
Additionally, as noted in the interview, it is important for a leader to abandon micromanagement and trust their subordinates or colleagues more. In particular, it is necessary to promote opportunities for decision-making and keep people accountable so that they feel personally involved in the performance of professional tasks. These principles underlie not only the achievement of professional efficiency but also the development of personal excellence. A good manager or employee cannot develop apart from being a good member of society. The development of individual qualities aimed at healthy and caring interaction with people is the key to professional effectiveness. More specific skills can be developed within a specific activity, while individual growth involves constant work on communication and interaction with other people.
References
Anderman, E. M. (2020). Achievement motivation theory: Balancing precision and utility. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101864.
Christie, A. P., Amano, T., Martin, P. A., Petrovan, S. O., Shackelford, G. E., Simmons, B. I., Sutherland, W. J. (2020). Poor availability of context-specific evidence hampers decision-making in conservation. Biological Conservation, 248, 108666.
Chang, S. E., Liu, A. Y., & Shen, W. C. (2017). User trust in social networking services: A comparison of Facebook and LinkedIn. Computers in Human Behavior, 69, 207-217.
Gamil, Y., & Rahman, I. A. (2017). Identification of causes and effects of poor communication in the construction industry: A theoretical review. Emerging Science Journal, 1(4), 239-247.
Galli, B. J. (2019). A shared leadership approach to transformational leadership theory: Analysis of research methods and philosophies. In Scholarly Ethics and Publishing: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice. IGI Global, 751-790.