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COMPETENCY #2—MANAGERIAL/LEADERSHIP SKILLS 107

Question 76. As much as we may try to get along with everyone else,

there are occasions when we cannot. Describe a time when you managed an
employee with whom you did not see eye-to-eye.

Situation: We hired an employee who operated his own business for

fifteen years. Since he was used to running the show for so many years, he
did not take direction well.

Action: I decided to deal with the behavior, not the person. During a

meeting, I focused on his performance on the job. Together we developed a
behavior-modification plan.

Result: After a few months, he decided to take another stab at start-

ing his own business. However, we did part as friends.

Question 77. We all have outside interests. Tell me about an extracur-

ricular activity you enjoy. Then describe a time when the skills you learned in
that activity made you a better professional.

Situation: I serve as a defensive player for a volleyball team. The

spirit of competition, including the importance of leaving negative feelings on
the court, spills over into my work environment. This attitude was useful the
day I overheard a colleague downplay my role in the execution of a major
project.

Action: While my colleague was talking, I paid attention to the director’s

body language. He was clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. When I
had the opportunity to speak to him privately, I emphasized the actions I had
implemented while also noting that all members of the team contributed to the
success of the project.

Result: Though I am sure many factors came into play, I believe my pro-

fessionalism was an integral reason I was offered leadership of the next project.

Ability to Delegate

A strong ability to delegate effectively will ensure that projects are com-
pleted on time and within scope. To measure your experience in assign-
ing projects, a subset of questions asked during the interview will focus
on delegation.

American Management Association
www.amanet.org