Page 105 - 201KNO~1

80 COMPETENCY-BASED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Question 27. Recall the last time you felt energized about a project.
Situation: When my employer, Interior Specialty Group, merged with

The Summit Company, I was excited about the partnership. Both companies
were boutique firms with solid reputations in the industry. I recognized that the
alliance would attract larger, more challenging deals from influential clients. As
I suspected, within weeks we landed a contract with a Fortune 500 company
to launch a big marketing campaign.

Action: As part of a team, I helped market the company’s software

products to various media, including newspapers, TV, magazines, and Web
sites.

Result: The campaign was a success, and I was assigned to addi-

tional high-profile accounts.

Question 28. Give an example of a situation in which you assessed a

person’s temperament and how that assessment helped the relationship.

Situation: An employee was extremely sensitive, and team members

felt they could not express themselves without that employee’s taking offense.
For example, if a co-worker walked into the office but did not greet her, she
felt like the co-worker did not like or was upset with her.

Action: I realized that this employee was overly sensitive, and so I

had to flex my communication style so she wouldn’t feel under attack. I de-
cided to have a casual conversation with her instead of setting up a meet-
ing. This approach disarmed her, and I was able to broach the subject
without her trepidation. During our talk, I encouraged her to not personal-
ize the behaviors of others. I also explained that people have lives outside
of the office that can impact their moods—for instance, some people are not
“morning people”—and she should accept that others’ statements are not
necessarily directed toward her.

Result: Since no one’s personality or outlook changes overnight, I

had to meet with her a few more times to help her work through her emo-
tions and focus her energy on work projects instead. That said, over time
she grasped the notion that, in a work environment, a thick skin is some-
times required.

American Management Association
www.amanet.org