In my experience Asian managers (Desi, Japanese or Chinese etc.) are more prone to being micromanager (Not all - I know), on the other hand most Americans aren’t!
Yes? No? Maybe?
Also there is a difference between the way women manage vs. men. For example, a my female Boss would use a lot of ‘please’ ‘can ya’ and smilies when she will communicate. Male bosses do too but not as much. Female Bosses would understand better you need to take off for ‘family related issues’ .. male bosses don’t care. Male boss would understand better a technical issue (in my experience) while the female would like to know the bottom line (when can you get it fixed & all done).
Yes? No? Maybe?
on top of that... any ideas on when a Desi manages another Desi...
and also, how old they are - a huge difference if they're in their 30s' or if they're in their 50s'.
The Managers so far I had have the following data:
Female (late 30s) - American - Manages mix groups of Americans/Asians/Europeans interns
Female (early 40s) - American - Manages mix groups of Americans/Asians/Europeans interns
Female (early-mid 30s) - American - Manages Engineers from various back grouds, majority Americans
Female (early 30s) - Desi - Manages mix groups of Americans/Asians/Europeans interns
Male (late 30s) - American - Manages Engineers from various back grouds, majority Americans
Male (late 30s) - American - Manages Engineers from various back grouds, majority Americans
Male (early 40s) - American - Manages Engineers from various back grouds, majority Americans
Male (late 40s) - American - Manages Engineers from various back grouds, majority Americans
Male (early 40s) - Japanese - Manages Engineers from various back grouds, majority Americans
Male (late 40s) - Japanese - VP Engineering
:)
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*Originally posted by Umar Talib: *
on top of that... any ideas on when a Desi manages another Desi...
and also, how old they are - a huge difference if they're in their 30s' or if they're in their 50s'.
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exactly my situation....my manager is a desi but so far i havent had any problem with him. In my opinion if your desi boss is sensible, he is far more better than a "gora" boss...since he understands you and your needs much better.
but as ahmadjee said, not all desis are the same...i know a couple of my friends who are working under desi managers and are not happy at all...firstly 'cuz their bossis too much bossy and secondly such desi bosses are sometimes too nosy.
The best manager I have had so far has been a desi guy. Although him and I are no longer in the same company we still are in touch and often meet up for lunch.
Does the manager approach and behavior also vary by the type of industry and his or her own background.
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*Originally posted by Fraudz: *
..The best manager I have had so far has been a desi guy...
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Frauds, you may want to rephrase that :)
A manager’s behaviour may vary due to the way they might have been treated by their own superiors. Also, a managers behaviour may differ in different industry types, for example, a manager working in the healthcare sector, where certain decisions do make a difference between life and death, may be more of a micromanager than say someone in a software sales environment. There, they may take a more hands off approach and just meet their staff once a week to discuss the targets that have a ‘clear-cut’ performance measure.
The idea that Asian managers maybe more prone to being micromanagers than, say, an American (‘gora’) manager, is not necessarily a behaviour or trait that can be generalised. Again, it depends on individuals and their experiences.
The question of age is a good one. From personal experience, I have worked for managers that have ranged from being 5 years to 20 years older than I. Although they were all great managers, it is the way you as an individual interact with those managers that can make a difference as to how you are treated by that person. To this end, understanding human behaviour and motivational skills are not, and should not be, seen as the sole responsibility of the manager, but also the responsibility of the employee. Remember, you may not be able to change their personality, but you can certainly change the way the manager perceives you.
On a personal note, I make sure all my staff attends ‘Social Styles Training’, as part of their personal and career development. Also, this helps (hopefully for some) in ‘reducing’ the excuse that my manager does not understand me. Sometimes, it is well to remember, the onus should be on the employee to understand their manager :)
Good Luck…
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*Originally posted by 2bornot2b: *
Frauds, you may want to rephrase that :)…
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Your interpretation may reflect your own experiences, I had not accounted for those when I phrased it as such :)
Managers are like buses. There is one around the corner