Employee Performance
Introduction
The person involved in the interview is a general manager of one of the largest oil companies in the country. I met him in one of the skills development initiatives, and he allowed me to interview him. The one-on-one method was applied during the interview.
The interview
Overall, how long have you been a manager?
I have been working as a general manager for five years now.
How did you become a manager in your current company?
I was a regular employee in the company that I am currently working as a general manager. During my time as an employee in this company, I also took evening classes to further my knowledge in business. I studied business administration in my part-time education program. My decision to further my studies became my major turning point in my career life. Five years ago, the general manager of my company retired, and the company HR manager announced the vacancy, and I applied for the position. The company conducted interviews for all the candidates; luckily, I was among them. After three weeks, I was announced the new general manager of the company.
What skills do you believe are most important to be a successful manager?
Several skills are vital for any person working in the capacity of a manager. A successful manager ought to possess and exhibit these skills for them to effectively manage an organization. One of the vital abilities is the people management skill, which focuses on the group of individuals that work under the manager. The employees consist of various people from different backgrounds. A successful manager needs to have employee management skills to understand each of the workers. Some of the workers have issues that may affect their output at the office. People management skills involve the ability of a manager to understand each individual and their values. People have different needs, and sometimes their needs may collide with the manager’s needs.
Another critical skill for a manager is practical communication skills. A manager is a leader and needs to possess the ability to communicate fluently and comfortably with employees at all levels. Managers get involved in a conversation with various people with different work ranks. Communication of a manger with a senior manager is different from one with a fellow peer. The managers should have the communication tactics to get employees to listen to them, accept their ideas, and act according to the instructions that they give.
Influencing skills is also another essential skill of a successful manager. The influence of a manager is imperative because they are not always in direct and full control of every employee in the company. A manager requires other employees to achieve their goals and strategies. Influence does the magic on the employees to cooperate with the manager. The influencing skill helps a manager to put more effort into collaboration with employees and get support for their goals. A successful manager needs to have a positive influence on employees to accomplish the purposes of the company.
How do you use POLC (Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling) in your role as a manager?
The different functions of the manager involve planning, controlling, organizing, and leading. As a manager, I apply planning as a function when defining the organizational goal that will keep the company moving so that there is an achievement of the missions and visions. When the company wants to meet those goals, the manager develops the business plans to help in achieving them. The manager is also involved in controlling where employees are assigned different tasks—working as a general manager consists of taking the reports from the employees to monitor the progress and ensure that there is the achievement of targets in the company. The manager uses the control function to check errors and come with corrective actions. One of the measures taken involves setting standards in the company. Organizing is another management function that requires the manager to determine how the distribution of resources takes place and the arrangement of the workers under the plan. Therefore, as a manager, I use organizing functions to identify roles and delegate responsibilities and work to subordinates so that they can work without any barrier. Managers use leading as a function to motivate and influence the employees so that they can achieve the set goals. Managers look for ways to make the employees have the desire to participate in organizational activities so that they can achieve the same purpose.
What do you enjoy most about managing others?
Managing others can sometimes be sweet, and other times it is challenging. However, when I manage other people, there are different things I enjoy. One of the things that make me happy is listening to other people. Working as a manager involves collecting information for the company so that you can find out when and where things went wrong. Workers in the organization possess the news, and listening to them gives me the limelight of the way things are happening in the organization.
Another thing I enjoy managing people is communication. Giving people feedback as the manager is sweet because you are given a chance to explain your opinion. Managing other people involves accountability, and thus it gives me the motivation to continue being a manager because I love being honest. When dealing with company resources as a manager, people expect that you are in charge of the entire activities taking place, and if something goes wrong, you are liable. Thus, this makes me enjoy managing people for accountability.
What do you enjoy least about managing others?
When working as a manager, different obstacles come in the way, and you should enjoy it because they strengthen you in your position. One of the things I enjoyed least in managing people is the pressure to perform. During my first year in the company, I had not learned enough skills to handle pressure, and thus different people exerted stress on my side. When working in the company, there are also conflicts among employees who are not pleasing at some points. Employees come up with different conflicts, and handling them has not been easy. The disagreements come with a need to listen to both parties’ stories, which makes it challenging to take a stand because it can affect one party in the conflict resolution.
Do you have any other management insights that you would like to share?
Yes. Managers need to recognize the efforts of hardworking employees. Some employees enjoy it when their work is praised because it makes them feel appreciated and valued. When a manager rewards employees who perform well, they put more effort into achieving more. Managers also need to be open and communicate their views to employees on time. A good manager needs to be trustful and endeavor to reach common ground with their employees. Staying committed to the goals of the company helps managers to shape the strategies to achieve the ultimate goal of a company. Managers should always seek clarification in issues that confuse them. Company managers need to align themselves with the vision and core principles of the organization. Hosting motivational trips for employees is essential for team building. However, managers need to be careful so that the personal issues of employees don’t distract them from the primary goal of the company.
I appreciate your for taking your time to participate in the interview. I wish you success in your position as a general manager. Thank you.
In conclusion, the general manager requested that I should not reveal his name and the company he works with to the public.