Page 123 - 201KNO~1

98 COMPETENCY-BASED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

manship, I allowed her to set deadlines she could meet, as opposed to pro-
viding a timetable for her. Regrettably, she kept missing those deadlines as well.

Action: Since it is important to make a distinction between someone’s

personality and their performance on the job, I let her go. The termination did
not come as a surprise to her, since we had had several performance-based
conversations.

Result: Though terminating her employment was not a pleasant ex-

perience, my decision was sound and fair. Within a month of the firing, I hired
a designer who was just as talented as Rebecca and who met her deadlines.

Question 59. Describe a time when a subordinate disagreed with a task

he or she was given. How did you manage the situation?

Situation: The human resources director at the Lincoln Project wanted

the department to create a “Pocket Employee Reference Guide.” He believed
that employees’ easy access to policies and procedures would improve moral.
The human resources generalist who was assigned the task felt that her time
could be put to better use. She wanted me to speak to the director about the
matter.

Action: I listened to her point of view and offered advice. I told her that

it was important to choose one’s battles carefully. This particular project was
not one to fuss over, since the director had already made up his mind.

Result: In the end, she completed the pocket guide without express-

ing further discontent.

Question 60. Describe an occasion when you trained a cross-functional

team.

Situation: Throughout my tenure with Ross Dress for Less, I led a

cross-functional team that consistently achieved goals.

Action: To build upon the success, I introduced a new program that

covered merchandising, operational management, and customer service.

Result: After I trained four store managers, two assistant managers,

and two area supervisors, the store benefited from a boost in sales, produc-
tivity, and profitability.

Question 61. Give an example of a time when you took on a leader-

ship role.

American Management Association
www.amanet.org