Entry 1: The Manager

About the manager
Roslyn Chan, 43
Vice President of regional marketing, Millennium & Copthorne Group Singapore

1. Briefly describe your job responsibilities as a manager

• I help to oversee the company's regional marketing for Asia
• I also set the direction for regional marketing - I review and re-prioritise strategies to drive growth through revenue increase and effective cost management
• I'm involved in People Management and managing corporate functions

2. What is your management style?

• I practise an open door policy
• I give latitude to direct reports to drive individual areas of KRAs (Key Result Areas) but will make executive decisions where necessary
• I give credit where it’s due but will take to task where necessary

(I would say that Roslyn's style of management is a hybrid of the modern and HR school of management. It combines much of Theory Z from the HR management with the concept of leadership from modern management. However she also borrows from Henri Fayol's principle of equity from Administrative management.)

3. What are some of the difficulties you face as a manager?

• The most difficult aspect of my job is people management...
• It's challenging to strike the balance when motivating staff and be firm but fair. An analogy - to borrow from kite flying terms – when to “hulur” to provide slack so they can soar and when to “tarik” when they are in danger of dipping. It's also tricky counselling or disciplining errant staff

4. How do you overcome these difficulties?

• I seek counsel from a HR peer
• Through practise and experience
• By speaking the truth directly but with some measure of compassion where the situation merits
• Direct discipline (e.g. verbal warnings where necessary) to ensure equitability and that the good performers do not need to pick up the slack from those who don't. This helps maintain the level of motivation as well as it helps recognise contributors and shape up laggards
• We have open performance appraisal (3 times a year)

5. In your opinion, what makes a good manager?

• A good manager is one who provides strategic direction to ensure consistency of plans and deliverables; but leaves the management of implementation and execution to staff. Also, involvement at milestone checkpoints is important
• He/she is firm but fair
• He/she ensures a good work environment by being equitable in the treatment of good performers and non performers
• A good manager provides a condusive environment for relevant feedback
• With oversight comes accountability – a good manager takes final accountability
• Lastly it is important to have moral authority, to practise what you preach