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106 COMPETENCY-BASED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Result: This decision worked to the organization’s advantage, since

employees took ownership of the proposed cuts. Consequently, the team ral-
lied around the organization’s revitalization efforts, and not one employee
complained about the changes.

Question 74. Tell me about a time when you trained an employee to do

his or her job better.

Situation: At St. Mary’s Medical Center, we had a problem with an em-

ployee who did not follow company procedures on a regular basis. She was ap-
proached informally by management to resolve the situation, but because
Human Resources was afraid she would file a lawsuit for age discrimination,
she was never formally reprimanded. Her actions and the organization’s inac-
tion escalated the issue.

Action: After checking her annual reviews, I realized that she had a stel-

lar track record for years and that her performance started to decline when new
management took over. Upon further investigation, it was clear that her decline
came after many of her responsibilities were assigned to others. From my point
of view, it seemed that she no longer felt valued as a team member and as a re-
sult her work began to suffer. To increase her motivation, I encouraged the de-
partment head to offer her complete ownership of an upcoming project.

Result: The employee felt empowered, and completed the project ef-

fectively. Over time she was rewarded for her revitalized work ethic by being
given more projects to lead.

Question 75. Describe a time when you realized that a top producer on

your team was growing bored with his or her position. What did you do about it?

Situation: Robert, a sales executive with year after year of quota-

surpassing performance, began to show signs of discontentment. Though
his sales remained high, his enthusiasm for the job had waned.

Action: I approached management about penetrating the northeast re-

gion, where Robert could serve as the regional sales manager.

Result: Management and Robert embraced the challenge. His inter-

est in the company was restored. With Robert’s newfound energy, he suc-
cessfully developed the talents and strengths of his team, motivating each to
attain high performance targets.

American Management Association
www.amanet.org