Excerpted from From
Here to There by Larry Stuenkel
These questions
are similar to what you can expect during a real interview. Being
prepared will enable you to think on your feet.
The suggested replies, excerpted from From Here to There
by Larry Stuenkel, aren't intended to give you one correct answer.
Rather, the answers should reflect your personal frame of reference,
based on your motives, goals, work skills and aspirations. The replies
are meant to stimulate your thinking, not to be memorized.
Q. What is your philosophy or style of management?
If you're a manager, you would want to expound upon how you feel
individuals should be managed. Show flexibility and avoid using
"participative management." Participative management is interpreted
by many as group decision making. Instead, you may want to say your
philosophy of management is to be managed in a fair manner, to be
trained and supervised appropriately, to have your work criticized
from an improvement standpoint, and to be acknowledged for a job
well done. Far too many managers consider themselves truly participative
managers when in fact they are not.
After pausing and reflecting, consider, "I believe I am a situational
manager. Specifically, my management style will vary depending upon
the situation I am involved in. Possibly my role might be one of
a coach with a subordinate. It may be one where I have ample opportunity
to get a consensus of opinions from peers, subordinates and superiors.
Depending upon the time element involved, my management style may
possess a greater sense of urgency where I direct my subordinates
based on the information, facts, and sense of urgency at hand."
Many people say they are a "hands-on manager," willing to roll
up their sleeves and pitch in. But executives aren't being paid
for their hands-on talent; they're paid to analyze, to think, to
problem solve and strategize — not to roll up their sleeves and
actually perform the work.
