IntroductionWhen we were given the task of interviewing a manager; Many questions and thoughts came to mind. But the main thing we were worried about was "Who were we going to interview?" We were fortunate to have a close bond within the group with Mr. John Doe; the National Manager of Retail Field Operations of Nova Energy. We decided to interview him with the aim of gaining some insights into what being a manager really entails on a corporate and personal level and how we could become strong managers in the future. Background We chose to interview Mr. John Doe, National Retail Field Chief Operating Officer of Nova Energy, for multiple reasons, one of which is that he works from home, which provided us with an interesting angle for our relationship, because at its management level it is quite unusual for him not to work in a main office. It was also easier to arrange an interview with him since he lives close to the University and the office has no time limits. Another reason we chose Doe is that we thought it would be useful to interview a manager from a company founded in New Zealand, as he gives us a relatable perspective and insight into what it's like to work in New Zealand as a manager. We arranged our interview with Doe through his daughter who is a member of our group, he agreed and we booked an interview on Monday 24th March. Once the date was set, our group met first and prepared some basic, open-ended questions, so that the interview was structured, but also allowed Doe to expand freely. This organization proved useful and we came across as a cohesive and well-organised group, allowing us to gain vital insights into the day in the life of a manager. Nova Energy is a 100% New Zealand owned and operated energy company... . middle of paper ......realization of the importance of having a foundation in the industry you manage, because then you will not only understand better what is going on, but you will also be able to understand the employees better because you will know what they are dealing with. Although Doe did all of this without a college degree, he made us understand the importance of having one, but it is proof of how essential experience is to being a strong manager. But once you are a strong manager, we now understand that you need to be realistic about your management skills, so as not to over-promote. Overall this interview was an eye-opening experience and we got to see what a day in the life of a manager is like, it requires organisation, leadership, time management and communication. These are the skills that Doe possesses as a manager and from him we can see how difficult but possible it is to be an effective manager.