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134 COMPETENCY-BASED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

ophy. In addition, I wrote how-to articles for trade publications that focused
on the introduction of new products.

Result: After the interviews and the first articles were published, the

sales department reported a spike in sales.

Question 125. Tell me about a situation that called upon your strongest

quality. What was the result?

Situation: My strongest quality is as a change agent, whereby I pin-

point operational inefficiencies and execute policies to eliminate them. This
quality was especially useful when I served as incoming director for the Res-
piratory Clinic, where my first order of business was to turn around the low
patient-satisfaction numbers.

Action: As part of the tactical plan, I introduced the “Rounding with

Purpose” method that ensured patients were visited every hour by a nurse. In
addition, I readied the department for the Joint Commission on the Accredi-
tation of Healthcare Organizations survey.

Result: Shortly after my changes were implemented, the number of

patients who fell out of bed declined. The department also placed in the
ninetieth percentile on the Perss Ganey patient-satisfaction survey.

Question 126. Recall a time when using your initiative was rewarded.

Situation: When I was employed with Compact Recordings, I was

commended by management for my ability to analyze situations and imple-
ment strategies that helped make it a more productive workplace.

Action: One specific time, I took the initiative to install hardware solu-

tions and set up desktop configurations in preparation for a flagship account.

Result: I received a bonus for exceeding goals and five stars in all core

competencies areas outlined in the performance evaluation.

Question 127. Describe an occasion when you created an opportunity

for yourself.

Situation: Upon being hired by Grip Management, I noticed that the

organization did not have an employee-training program.

Action: I had learned from my previous position at Allied Electronics

of the importance of welcoming new employees with a formal company in-

American Management Association
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