Behavioral Competencies - Additional Factors for Supervisors 

Coaches/Counsels/Evaluates Staff

• Give me an example of a time when you helped a staff member accept change and make the necessary adjustments to move forward. What were the change/transition skills that you used?

• Tell me about a specific time when you had to handle a tough morale problem.

• Tell me about a time when you had to take disciplinary action with someone you supervised.

• Tell me about a time when you had to tell a staff member that you were dissatisfied with his or her work.

• Tell me about a time when you had to handle a highly emotional employee.

• Discuss a work situation in which you felt you successfully directed the work of others.

• Tell me about a time when your department was going through long-term changes or working on a long-term project. What did you do to keep your staff focused?

Identifies Areas for and Supports Employee Development Opportunities

• What have you done to develop the skills of your staff? How many of your employees have received training (any form) during the past year? What were the specific topic areas? Did they ask for the training or did your suggest it to them?

• Tell me about a specific development plan that you created and carried out with one or more of your employees. What was the specific situation? What were the components of the development plan? How long was the time frame from start to finish? What was the outcome?

Encourages Teamwork and Group Achievement

• Please tell me about your most successful attempt to encourage others to take action and get the job done. What led you to take these actions? Exactly how did you encourage others to take action or responsibility? What was the result of your efforts? Did anyone comment on your actions? Who? What was said? How often have you taken this type of action in the past six months?

• Tell me about a time when you needed to have co-workers working on a project who normally have different work styles/ideas. How did you pull them together?

Leads Change/Achieves Support of Objectives

• Tell me about a time when you were responsible for hiring and orienting a new employee. What did you do to help them adjust?

• Tell me about a time when your department was going through long-term changes or working on a long-term project. What did you do to keep your staff focused?

• Give me an example of a time when you helped a staff member accept change and make the necessary adjustments to move forward.

Enables and Empowers Staff

• Tell me about a time when you needed to delegate parts of a large assignment. How did you decide whom to distribute them to? What problems occurred? What was the outcome?

• What specific information do/did you share with your staff, how often do/did you share this information and why?

• Give me a specific example of how you have empowered your staff to make independent decisions.

• Tell me about the expectations you create for staff. What are they? What factors do you consider in setting/communicating expectations?

Strives to Achieve Diverse Staff at all Levels

• Give me a specific example of how you have helped create an environment where differences are valued, encouraged and supported.

• What have you done to support diversity in your unit?

Understands Diversity Issues and Creates Supportive Environment for Diverse Employees

• Tell me about the specific talents and contributions of your team/staff and how you have utilized these qualities to increase the effectiveness of the unit.

• What have you done to support diversity in your unit?

• Can you recall a time when you gave feedback to an employee who was unaccepting of others?