Final

Questions

Synopsis of Observation /Question

1. Name of Business

1. Address

1. Name and title of the person you interviewed

1. Contact information for the person you interviewed

1. Number of employees

1. Why did you chose this organization?

1. What degree, if any, do you have and where did you receive your degree?

1. What level of education is required for an entry-level position in your organization? What level of education is necessary for promotion within your organization?

1. Review Figure 1.3 on page 9 of your textbook – Soft Skills for Managers. What do you think are the most important soft skills to be successful in your organization?

1. What activities do you engage in to remain current in your field (professional organizations, professional literature, certifications, trainings, etc.)?

1. Add your question here, related to Management Career Paths that would not be answered in Questions 1-4 above.

1. Can you share your organizational chart with me (either physical or description)? How does your organizational chart benefit your organization?

1. As we learned in class, the four functions of management are: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Which of these receive the most emphasis from you, in your current position?

1. Chose 5 of Fayol’s 14 Principles of Management to discuss (student chooses in advance of meeting). Does your organization use these 5 principles? Why or why not?

1. What do you think are the key advantages and disadvantages of businesses using social media, such as Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, or Twitter? Does your organization use any of these social media outlets? Why or why not?

1. Add your question here, related to Management Theories that would not be answered in Questions 1-4 above.

1. What is your most important responsibility as a manager and supervisor?

1. Review Supervisory Roles (pgs. 48-50) and pick 3 roles (student chooses in advance of meeting). Are you engaged in these supervisory roles in your organization? Why or why not? How important are these roles in your current position?

1. Review Essential Skills for Successful Supervisors (pgs. 51-54) and pick 3 essential skills (student chooses in advance of meeting). Are you engaged in these skills in your current position? Why or why not? Are these skills important in your current position?

1. Is your organization involved in global activities? Why or why not?

1. Add your question here, related to Effective Supervision that would not be answered in Questions 1-4 above.

1. What characteristics do you think a strong leader should have?

1. What characteristics do you think a strong manager should have?

1. From your viewpoint, based on your current job, do you see a difference between management and leadership? Can you describe the differences and/or similarities?

1. In class, we studied several theories of leadership (student should give some examples from the textbook). Do you have a preferred leadership style? Does your leadership style change based on the situation? Can you give me an example?

1. Add your question here, related to Leadership that would not be answered in Questions 1-4 above.

1. If your organization has a vision and mission statement, can you share them with me? What do these statements mean to you in your current position?

1. Can you tell me, based on your experience at this organization, what the major values (core beliefs) are for your organization?

1. How does your organization use your vision, mission, and values to drive planning and goal setting?

1. Does your organization link planning and goal setting to accountability? Why or why not? Can you give me a specific example?

1. Add your question here, related to planning, goal setting, or achieving results that would not be answered in Questions 1-4 above.

1. In your organization, who prepares the job analysis, job specifications, and job description? Do you have any personal input into these processes?

1. How does your organization choose between internal and external recruiting? Does your organization tend to use more internal or external recruiting?

1. Does your organization do any pre-employment testing? Why or why not?

1. Does your organization have a specific diversity plan for attracting and retaining a diverse workforce? Can you explain it to me?

1. Add your question here, related to staffing essentials that would not be answered in Questions 1-4 above.

1. What training does your organization provide for new-hire training? Is training different based on the position of the new hire?

1. What preparation does your organization engage in for the new-hires first day of work (e.g., id badge, business cards, work space, telephone, email, technology)?

1. Does your organization engage in any alternative work schedules, such as telecommuting, job sharing, or flextime? Why or why not?

1. What is your greatest challenge in training the employees who report to you?

1. Add your question here, related to setting up employees for success that would not be answered in Questions 1-4 above.

1. Does your organization engage in scheduled performance appraisals? How often do formal performance appraisals occur in your organization?

1. In class, we learned several methods of performance appraisal. Can you describe your process to me? (Student Note: be prepared to use this information to determine what techniques the organization uses from pgs. 190-193).

1. Can you describe the types of benefits employees receive at your organization (e.g., insurance; vacation/holiday/sick leave; retirement accounts; education benefits?

1. Does your organization provide rewards to high-producing individuals? If so, can you describe these rewards?

1. Add your question here, related to appraising and rewarding performance that would not be answered in Questions 1-4 above.

1. How extensively are team projects used in your organization? What size of team is typically used?

1. Are your teams more permanent in nature or do team members come together for a temporary assignment?

1. Do your teams use software to aid in project planning? Can you share the software name with me?

1. How important is it that I can show effective teamwork on my resume?

1. Add your question here, related to project management that would not be answered in Questions 1-4 above.

1. Are you engaged in managing records in your organization? At what level (e.g., only your personal records, department records, organization-wide records)?

1. In class we learned effective records systems must have findability, confidentiality, and safety (security). Based on your answer to Question 1, how do you ensure these 3 factors in your records system?

1. Do you maintain only paper records, only electronic records, or both?

1. What systems and supplies do you use for paper and electronic records management?

1. Add your question here, related to managing records that would not be answered in Questions 1-4 above.