Iremia Advisory · Management Foundations · Class 1 of 4

Purpose

By the end of this class, you will have a written job description for one of your direct reports that defines the role's mission and the measures of success for it. The document is short. The conversation with the employee is what makes it useful.

This class works on one direct report at a time. Pick one for today. The homework is to complete the JD conversation with them before Class 2.

The Four Pillars of Good Management

Management Foundations runs four classes. Each one is a foundational skill.

1. Role Definition (this class)
2. Agreements Between Manager and Employee. Turning role clarity into delegation that works.
3. Communication Rituals. Running good meetings and meaningful one-on-ones.
4. Feedback. Closing the gap between what you agreed and what happened.

The order is sequential. Each class assumes the prior one is in hand.

Pre-Class

The Manager's Guide for Class 1 (this document) is the only reading.

Bring written notes on these four prompts:

1. What kind of manager do you want to be? Be specific. "Empathetic" or "high standards" alone does not count. Use the adjectives that mean something to you.
2. Have you ever had a manager you would call great? What made them great?
3. What concerns do you have about this program?
4. Pick one direct report. You will use this person as the subject of today's exercise. Pick someone whose role feels unclear, not someone easy.