This project is to be completed individually $($i$.$e$.,$ not a team project$).$ You will interview an executive who currently serves in a management position in any field. This could be your direct or any supervisor at your place of employment, a family member who is a manager, or a leader at a company you would like to work at in the future $($i$.$e$.,$ a great opportunity for an introduction and informational interview!$).$ Your interview should be a conversation, not an interrogation. That is$,$ you should not just read questions and report answers. You should engage in a thoughtful dialogue to create a narrative summary of your exchange.

Potential Questions to Discuss with Your Manager

What inspired you to pursue a career in management? Are you happy with what you are doing?

What motivates you to be a better manager?

Tell us about one of your best and worst management experiences. What did you learn? What advice can you pass on from the experience?

What communication tips or techniques that work best with your subordinates can you share?

How do you prospect new employees? What professional traits and characteristics do you value most?

What pet peeves do you routinely encounter as a manager?

What is the secret to overcoming objections from employees, your peers, or your supervisor$($s$)?$

What are some of the most successful negotiation techniques you use?

What partnerships are important to your success, and how do you establish and maintain them?

If you could describe the personality characteristics of a successful manager, what would they be$?$

What modern challenges are today's managers struggling with the most?

Paper Guidance

You are interviewing a manager in business to learn from their insights and experiences. I have given you some kicker $($i$.$e$.,$ conversation starter$)$ questions, but these are not intended to be a back$-$and$-$forth script for your conversation. Your paper is NOT a question and answer transcript of your meeting.

Instead, you should take notes turning your conversation, and then evaluate them afterwards. Analyze and synthesize their feedback to develop your own insights, takeaways and opinions. Your paper should share what you observed and experienced in addition to what you heard. You should also consider outside articles, podcasts, authors, or resources who contribute to concepts, metaphors or ideas you discuss in your meeting with your manager. $($i$.$e$.,$ Author, Tom Johnson, supports what said in their September $2022$ podcast about $.)$

Again, this is not a transcript. This is a closer to a research paper with a live interview as your main source.