Step 1. On your own, think of two managers that you have had – the best and the worst. The managers could be anyone who served as an authority figure over you, including an instructor, a boss at work, a manager of a student organisation, a leader of a student group, a coach, a volunteer in a not-for-profit organisation, and so on. Think carefully about the specific behaviours that made each manager the best or the worst and write down what that manager did.

The best manager I ever had did the following:

The worst manager I ever had did the following:

Step 2. Divide into groups of four to six members. Each person should share his or her experiences, one at a time. Write on a sheet or a whiteboard separate lists of best-manager and worst-manager behaviours.

Step 3. Analyse the two lists. What themes or patterns characterise

‘best’ and ‘worst’ manager behaviours? What are the key differences between the two sets of behaviours?

Step 4. What lessons does your group learn from its analysis? What advice would you give to managers to help them be more effective?