Positive Indicators
- Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority.
- Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member.
- Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills.
- Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines.
- Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff.
- Encourages risk-taking and supports staff when they make mistakes.
- Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff.
- Appraises performance fairly.
Negative Indicators
- Does not make expectations clear to others.
- Utilizes people on the basis of availability rather than skill.
- Does not use milestones and deadlines to assess progress.
- Is subjective in the assessment of people.
- Is intolerant of staff that make mistakes.
- Looks to assign blame for mistakes.
- Is lax or inconsistent in discussing performance.
- Is not supportive of development or career aspirations.
Sample Questions
Tell me about a situation where you have had to manage the performance of a team or individual through a particular assii
- What were your objectives?
- How did you manage the people through the assignment?
- What was the result?
Tell me about a time when a member of your team made a mistake.
- What did you do when you found out?
- What was the message you conveyed to him or her?
- What were the short-term and long-term consequences for the team member?
What opportunities have you had to identify development opportunities for others.
- Thinking of a specific example, what action did…
- What was your role in the processr?
- What was the outcome?
Describe an example of how you have utilize of others in the past.
- How has your ability to match people’s skills with tasks been appraised in the past?
- In what situations have you been less effective at match… responsibilities to people?
- How do your skills in this area compare with a collea… in a similar role?
Tell me about a project in which you had to monitor people’s performance.
- How helpful were the controls you set in place for monitoring the progress of others?
- What would you do differently if you were placed in a similar situation again?
- When are you least likely to build checkpoints into your project plans?
- What do you think are the key features of an effective approach to monitoring progress towards an objective?
How do you assess the capabilities of people (e.g., direct reports, applicants)?
- What methods do you use?
- How effective are you?
- How do you compare to your colleagues at assessing people’s behaviour?
What opportunities have you had to assess other people’s performance?
- How often do you assess individual performance?
- What form does this take?
- What feedback do you provide?
- What advice would you give to others assessing the performance of individuals?
Describe a development plan that you have set for a team member.
- How did you set the development plan?
- What did you do that was effective?
- What would have done differently?
- What advice would you give to other managers/supervisors about setting development plans?