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118 COMPETENCY-BASED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Question 94. Describe a scenario when you helped a stagnant idea
become a full-fledged plan.
Situation: The owners of FabricColors wanted to take their online en-
deavor up a notch by collaborating with a Yahoo! Online store. This was a
project the owners mentioned frequently, but never followed through on.
Action: I took the initiative to source a Web designer with experience
in creating a Yahoo! Store and I inquired how FabricColors’ existing Web site
could be enhanced. Together, we came up with a strategy and structure to
ensure an engaging visitor experience.
Result: The inclusion of the Yahoo! Store platform made it easier for
visitors to pay for items online. In turn, the company’s profits soared.
Question 95. Give an example of a problem or situation that needed an
immediate, short-term solution.
Situation: At McGruff and Sons, we had an old and rundown server.
Every couple of days, I would receive an error message about a hardware fail-
ure. Replacement would cost over $8,000 and the company budget was al-
ready overstretched.
Action: I rebuilt a machine I had at home and brought it into the office
to use until the department could afford a new one.
Result: The overhauled server held up for close to three years. When
the new one was purchased, I was able to transfer all the data without any
hiccups.
Question 96. Recall a time when you developed a mission statement.
Situation: Play Book Magazine did not institute a mission statement
at its inception, so when I joined the publication, I took on the project.
Action: To get the employees involved, I asked for their input. Specifically,
I asked them to describe Play Book in their own words and to e-mail me their
thoughts. Based on the responses, I developed three statements that employ-
ees could vote on.
Result: The statement the company settled on was: “We keep
sports lovers educated by providing them with entertaining, up-to-date in-
formation.”
American Management Association
www.amanet.org
