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COMPETENCY #1—INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY 75

Result: Within a year, I restructured the pricing strategy to reflect two

price increases that competed with the opposition and not with the com-
pany’s internal products. The efforts achieved a boost of $3 million in unex-
pected operating income.

Question 19. Tell me about a time when you lacked experience in a

specific area and needed to outsource an initiative.

Situation: When I was the operations manager for Clothing Retail, I

wanted to apply segmentation strategies to determine customer buying pref-
erences. With such a tool we could analyze customer age, gender, interests,
and spending habits, subsequently raising profits.

Action: Since this was an information technology initiative beyond my

know-how, I outsourced the project to a software company that specialized
in developing frequent-buyer programs.

Result: Based on the information we gathered, we could offer loyal

customers specials and discounts. This preferential treatment was appreci-
ated by the consumers and foot traffic increased during the holiday season.

Question 20. Describe an occasion when you were left to your own

devices to manage a situation.

Situation: As the night maintenance guy for Zenith Hotels, I serve as

a jack-of-all-trades, from preparing conference rooms for early-morning meet-
ings to making small repairs to the plumbing and electricity, it is my job to
know it all.

Action: One night there was a broken pipe that gushed water onto the

main floor of the hotel. From reading the electronic monitoring system, I pin-
pointed the area and was able to contain the situation until a certified plumber
could arrive in the morning.

Result: My ability to manage the situation on my own saved the ho-

tel what could have been high costs for repairing extensive damage.

Question 21. Tell me about a time when your success was dependent

on another’s decision.

Obstacle: At the Women’s Correctional Center, I was hired to maintain

the integrity of the adult basic education program within the prison system.

American Management Association
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