As a manager, what is your greatest weakness?
TIPS TO PREPARE
TOP ANSWERS
OUR COACH SAYS
Everyone has their weaknesses -- and that is okay! Talk to the hiring manager about what you feel you could work on the most, and what you are doing about it. Avoid discussing a weakness that could be detrimental to you securing the position.
Example #1
"As a manager, I feel that my greatest weakness is in terminating employees at the first sign that they are not going to work out. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt and have been guilty of trying to nurture people when they are overdue for termination. I have worked on this and am becoming much better at 'ripping off the band-aid' so to speak."
Example #2
"I am currently working on my understanding of the goals of my administrative team. I know that once I better understand what is driving them in the workplace, I can teach each of them a few tasks that will help develop their careers. This approach will also allow me to delegate more confidently."
Example #3
"I tend to think and act quickly which can sometimes cause strain on the teams that I lead. I am constantly reminded to slow down and walk with my team along the way."
Example #4
"I strongly believe in my agency's 'up or out' theory, which means that if you are not continually challenging your team, they will leave. With that said, I may spend too much time on the up when it's clear that this employee is more of an 'out.'"
Example #5
"I believe my greatest weakness as a manager to be my delegating. I am accustomed to doing all of the managerial tasks myself, as I don't have an assistant manager or sometimes even a shift leader. I know that I need to improve on delegating appropriate tasks to the appropriate employees."
Example #6
"As far as management is concerned, I'd say my greatest weakness is probably taking too much interest in my employees' growth, even if they don't demonstrate the interest in growth themselves. While it is part of my job to help them grow and improve, it is not my responsibility to want it more for them than they do for themselves."
Example #7
"I am currently working on spending less time focusing on the worksheets and more time with hands-on learning opportunities. As an educator newer to my career, I am very comfortable abiding by 'the book' so to speak. I want to gain confidence in my ability to go-with-the-flow, and I know that will come as my teaching career continues."
Example #8
"I strongly believe in my agency's 'up or out' theory, which means that if you are not continually challenging your team, they will leave. With that said, I may spend too much time on the up when it's clear that this employee is more of an 'out.'"
Example #9
"As a manager, I feel that my greatest weakness is in terminating employees at the first sign that they are not going to work out. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt and have been guilty of trying to nurture people when they are overdue for termination. I have worked on this and am becoming much better at "
Example #10
"I believe my greatest weakness as a manager is my ability to delegate. I am accustomed to doing all of the managerial tasks myself, as I don't have an assistant manager or sometimes even a shift leader. I know that I need to improve on delegating appropriate tasks to employees that show promise and a desire to grow."
Anonymous Answer
"Since all of my team members work remotely, I tend not to delegate simple tasks that they could complete from home. I just take it upon myself and finish the job. In the last year, we have gotten Microsoft office 365, and this has made it much easier for me to delegate some of these tasks that I would have not in the past and allow my team more opportunity to grow."
Rachelle's Reply
This would be a challenge for sure, delegating when your team is remote. It's wonderful that you were able to leverage 365 in such an impactful way.
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