Page 121 - 201KNO~1

96 COMPETENCY-BASED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Action: During our discussions, I would break down complex techni-

cal subjects into easy-to-understand portions. I would use simple language
instead of jargon. With the information I provided, they developed articles that
I then proofed and edited before giving approval.

Result: The marketing department successfully placed their articles in

trade publications, which in turn increased the company’s presence in the
marketplace.

Question 54. Not every employee is easygoing. There are times when

an employee will refuse to carry out an order he or she believes is unfair.
Please describe such a time and how you resolved the situation.

Situation: An employee insisted on carrying out only the responsibil-

ities that were outlined in his job description. Whenever he was charged with
an assignment not specifically mentioned in the job description, he refused to
perform the task.

Action: To squash any misunderstanding about his functions, I explained

that special duties assigned by the supervisor are permissible as long as the
scope of that responsibility is within the classification of that position.

Result: After our meeting, the employee embraced the responsibilities

assigned to him, seeing them as covered in his job description.

Question 55. Describe an occasion when you managed a situation that

was out of the ordinary for your position.

Situation: We had a male employee who, after a long time of em-

ployment, revealed that she was transgender. She requested permission to
come to work in women’s clothing. In addition, she wanted the organization
to have a sensitivity-training professional educate employees on how to deal
with this new development.

Action: Without hesitation, I hired a consultant, who came in to offer

staff training on how best to approach the situation sensitively.

Result: The training was interactive and helped everyone maintain an

effective work environment. Ultimately, the fact that the employee was trans-
gender never became an issue.

Question 56. Tell me about a time you implemented an initiative and

met resistance from the majority of your staff.

American Management Association
www.amanet.org