Stress the importance of a good manager, but talk about an
individual's initiative as well.
If your boss is not training you to do some of the things
she does, it may indicate that you are not "management material."
Stay current on the latest management trends. Reading
business periodicals will help.
Don't say that you never have any. Pick a situation, even a
hypothetical one, and describe how you'd work through it.
The research you have done on the company should have
provided you with an idea of how closely management gets
involved with projects. If micromanagement is the key,
discuss how you like to closely supervise your employees. If
employee empowerment is the buzzword of this company, talk
about how you can delegate well when you trust the people
you work with.
If you know that the interviewer knows and likes
your favorite supervisor, it won't hurt to name names.
Otherwise, use adjectives without naming a specific person.
Try to find out before the interview how closely management
supervises employees, and base your answer on that.
You would need to adapt your answer to the type of people
you would be hiring.
Elaborate. Describe the situation that led to the
firing and what your thought processes were.
This question will typically only be asked of people with
previous supervisory experience.
Stress communication skills. Avoid sounding like a dictator.
The way that you describe this "ideal" person may indicate
what type of supervisor you will be, or what type you
prefer working for.
Someone with a proactive approach anticipates and looks
for possible problems and heads them off before they cause
difficulties. On the other hand, someone with a reactive approach
spends most of his or her day "stomping fires." If you were a
company president, which approach would you want your
managers to have?
Of course you are, especially if you're interviewing for a
management-level position.
If you've never been a supervisor, offer an example of
how you helped settle a dispute between co-workers.
The interviewer wants to know what kind of relationship you
build with your subordinates -- do you jump to conclusions,
or do you ask questions to find answers?