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COMPETENCY #2—MANAGERIAL/LEADERSHIP SKILLS 99

Situation: Within three months of employment with Dupree Com-

pany, I noticed that the teamwork was significantly less effective than at other
organizations I worked for. The lack of collaboration negatively impacted the
company’s productivity.

Action: In order to boost working relationships, I volunteered to work

overtime and without compensation to develop and implement a bi-weekly in-
novative education and training seminar for forty employees.

Result: Management green-lit my initiative. The result was that the

program enhanced a team environment, where staff members came together
to perform at a consistently high level.

Question 62. Tell me about a time when you brought two departments

together to work effectively with each other.

Obstacle: When I worked for Gibson Music, the sales department

had to meet quota, and they were overzealous in their efforts to land a con-
tract. Many employees would overpromise and the technical department
could not deliver.

Action: I instituted a culture in which the sales team did not feel pres-

sured to close on deals at any cost. Instead, their sales pitch focused on ad-
dressing client needs and determining a package that met those needs while
ensuring that the technical department could work within the parameters
specified.

Result: I created synergy between the sales and technical depart-

ments, ensuring that strong communications between the two translated into
top-notch customer experiences and increased profitability.

Question 63. Describe a time when a staff member did not meet your

expectations, and what you did about it.

Situation: As a newly promoted manager for the Comic Strips Com-

pany, I met with an employee who was not meeting his goals. Upper man-
agement wanted me to let him go; however, I was hesitant because I wanted
to see if he could thrive under my supervision.

Action: Before I gave him notice, I sat down with him to outline the ar-

eas he needed to improve. We then developed an action plan for how he
could tackle each competency. Periodically, I asked about his progress and
if he needed assistance. In addition, I always left my door open for questions.

American Management Association
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