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COMPETENCY #2—MANAGERIAL/LEADERSHIP SKILLS 105

Situation: Though I did implement an employee rewards system to

increase productivity, including providing financial bonuses for jobs well done,
I thought it was a good idea to get the company involved in a nonprofit en-
deavor to increase team cohesiveness.

Action: I scouted options, e-mailed employees the mission statements

of three viable charities, and asked them to vote on the organization they
would like to support. After the votes were tallied, the Children’s Lending Li-
brary program was the clear winner. The charity focuses on providing
schools in Latin America with libraries. As part of the initiative, employees
could choose to donate books and /or volunteer to sort and mail the books
right before the holiday season.

Result: A few months later, we received cards and photos from the

school we “adopted.” The book drive was such a hit with the employees that
it became an annual event.

Question 72. Describe the last training workshop you led.

Situation: As the account manager for Sounds in Motion, I traveled

across the country to train channel partners on the benefits of our products.
However, there came a time when the business grew to the point where I was
stretched too thin and training was backed up for months.

Action: Taking advantage of today’s technology, I developed interac-

tive Web-based modules on market opportunities, sales promotions, cus-
tomer objections, and the manufacturer’s product features and benefits.

Result: These “webinars” offered great flexibility on dates, contained

costs, and provided channel partners with training that could be repeated as
many times as they wished. This in turn increased sales and expanded the
channel partners’ knowledge of our products.

Question 73. Describe a time when you were responsible for making

drastic changes in your department while at the same time had to minimize
employees’ negative reactions.

Situation: Horseshoe Productions was hit hard by the sluggish econ-

omy. To keep our head above water, I implemented initiatives to reduce costs.

Action: I determined that the best way to approach the cuts was to

engage employees, asking them to suggest ways the department could trim
waste.

American Management Association
www.amanet.org