Answer an Interview Question About Defining Your Management Style
When going for a management position with a company or organization, a common question you'll be asked is what you consider to be your management style. Naturally, the answer to this is very important as it gives the interviewer some insight into your management expectations and the extent of your experience. Here are some suggestions for responding well to this type of questioning.
Steps
- Understand the purpose behind the question. It's basic - the interviewer wants to know what your ideas are about managing people, leading people, and how you Handle Your Project Funds on a daily basis.
- Your self-perception matters in this answer and the interviewer will be listening very carefully for how you describe yourself. Be sure to use positive, strong, and realistic words.
- Treat the question as one that still leaves room for you to improve. In other words, use aspirational language as well as concrete examples, as this shows you continue to be willing to learn and update your management skills.
- Cover the point of management as part of your answer. When it boils down to it, management involves two main things: ensuring the the job gets done, and ensuring that the people who get the job done are well looked after and enabled by the manager. Be sure that the way in which you respond demonstrates that you can get the job done and both enthuse and rein in the people doing it.
- Know the exact expectations of the management role for which you're applying. This article can only provide basic generalizations about what is appropriate to provide as an answer. You'll need to ensure that you've spent adequate time learning about the role you're applying for by reading the company's website, talking to people in management roles directly, even relying on acting in a management position if you're in a position to do so. Draw on all your resources to learn about the specific expectations of the management role you're applying for.
- Compile answers before your interview. Since this is such a stock standard question, it shouldn't come as a surprise to you. And it should be something you've thought about well in advance. It can be helpful to brainstorm a list of the things that you think make you a good manager; this will serve as a memory prompt during the interview. As for a good answer, as recommended earlier, be sure to cover the purpose of management (to get the job done and to supervise) as well as addressing the expectations for the role you're applying for. For example:
- "I'm a team member as well as a manager. I don't expect my team to go it alone; I am very much the type of person who pitches in to ensure the work gets done when needed. At the same time, however, I make sure that people are doing their role to their best ability and to find out why they might not be if things are going wrong for them. I consider myself to be very open-minded and approachable - I love hearing new ideas from my team and will try to implement them if they benefit the firm and the team as a whole. I'm a good listener and I am always ready to listen to staff when they experience problems and need help. I am highly ethical and will always ensure that my team is well briefed on accountability needs. I believe that it's important to reach consensus wherever possible, rather than laying down the law but I am not averse to using authority where it is needed, for the common good of the firm and team".
Tips
- It's a good idea to do some decent background reading on management styles. There are numerous different styles and it can be very helpful to understand and analyze your own style for both its strengths and weaknesses, so that you can draw on this for an interview, and for the role itself when you get the job.
Warnings
- Never infer that you don't listen to other people's ideas. Equally, never infer that you expect everyone else to do the work while you bark out orders.
Things You'll Need
- List of your management skills
