Rate your management skills on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 representing excellent management skills. Provide three examples from your past work experiences that support your reasoning.
"I would rate myself at an 8 out of 10. Management ability is based on leadership and organizational skills.
Leading others is very important. I had an employee who was very upset and told me that she was going to quit the job. I talked to her for several hours to figure out what's going on in her life and what she isn't getting out of the job. After our talk, she came back to work on Monday and thanked me, telling me that having me as a manager was truly a blessing. It was one of the most rewarding moments in my career.
Then there's continuous improvement. In my last management position, I saw many opportunities to improve the way things were being done at that moment, so I continually made small changes. For instance, the signs that we were posting were not very clear or visible, so I changed it. I also improved the efficiency of upkeep and the response time of repairs, which resulted in much happier tenants.
As you can see, I can retain and motivate employees to do a good job, and I can lead them to implement improvements that result in an improved reputation for the building, which leads to higher value and increased rent."
If you are after a managerial position, chances are you already have experiencing being a great manager or you have some ideas as to what makes a great manager, but there is always room to learn and improve! If you have management experience, share what makes you an excellent manager. If you don't, share what you have learned and appreciated from former managers. After rating yourself, be sure to tell the interviewer that there is always room to grow and improve. Next, share your three examples. Pick three examples that show positive instances of great management. Some examples include a positive conversation you recently had with an employee, a recent innovative idea you implemented, a great ways to motivate your staff, etc.
"I would rate myself at an 8 out of 10. Management ability is based on leadership and organizational skills and I have developed in both of these areas over the course of my career.
The ability to leading others effectively is very important. I had an employee who was very upset and told me that she was going to quit the job. I talked to her for several hours to figure out what was going on in her life and determined what she wasn't getting out of the job. After our talk, she came back to work on Monday, thanked me, and told me that having me as a manager was truly a blessing. It was one of the most rewarding moments in my career.
Then there's a desire for continuous improvement. In my last management position, I saw many opportunities to improve the way things were being done, so I continually made small changes. For instance, the signs that we were posting were not very clear or visible, so I changed them. I also improved the efficiency of upkeep and the response time of repairs, which resulted in much happier tenants. I seek regularly feedback from employees to improve processes and systems.
Finally, the ability to lead well and make positive changes requires organizational skills. In my most recent management position, I created more structure for employees, so they can rely on a regularly schedule. For example, I organized a weekly recurring meeting on Monday afternoons and biannual review and feedback conferences. This structure allows employees to stay informed, be held accountable, and have a voice.
As you can see, I can retain and motivate employees to do a good job, and I can lead them to implement changes that result in an improved reputation for the building, which leads to higher value and increased rent."
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