Area Manager

By telling your team what to do, you at some level are telling them that what they've done has not been successful. That's probably not what you mean. However, tell them why you want something, and ask for their help, and the underlying message is "you've done well in the past, so here's something new." Even when you put rules in place (governance rules, if you will), you can still educate as to the "why" and get more acceptance than you would otherwise. And, if you have the opportunity to get input, and adjust your rules with feedback, even better. Much better.

It is very important to give a strength that compensates for your weakness. Make your weakness into a positive. "I consider myself a 'big picture' person. I sometimes skip the small details. For this reason, I always have someone on my team that is very detail oriented." Another good answer: "Sometimes, I get so excited and caught up in my work that I forget that my family life should be my number one priority.

Focus on your ability to delegate in a fair and practical way, how you clearly defined project roles and responsibilities, kept personality clashes and conflict to a minimum and monitored and fed back to the project team. Outline your management style and why it worked.

I have definite examples of your skills and accomplishments. Be positive, and emphasize how your background matches the job description.

My long term goals are to find a company where I can grow, continue to learn, take on increasing responsibilities and be a positive contributor.

I find that I work better under pressure, and I enjoy working in an environment that is challenging." "I am the type of person that diffuses stress. I am used to working in a demanding environment with deadlines, and enjoy the challenges.

No job is without its disappointments. The disappointments can be anything, from an employee who left for personal reasons or the area that you did not bag because of the financials involved.

Make sure that you provide a quick and factual answer for this question.

These and other questions are randomly asked for the interview of the post of a area manager.

Make sure that you read about the job description well before you opt for a area manager interview.

Regardless of the reason, do not bad mouth your current employer. Negativism will always hurt you. Good answers include: "There is no room for growth at my current employer. I am looking for a company with long term growth opportunities". "Due to a company restructuring, my entire department is relocating to Florida. I was give the option of moving, but do not wish to relocate". "My current company is not doing well, and has been laying off employees. There is no job security there, and more layoffs are expected".

Apart from the portfolio, everyone has some project or aspect of their jobs that they hold close to their heart. This is the time to inform the interviewer about what your favorite project was and why. Of course, you have to make sure that you do not go on a ramble and genuinely discuss some of your favorite projects.

A project manager has to take into consideration several disagreements. They can be between employees, between the superior and the employees, or even the client and the employees. If you reply that you have never had any disagreements, the interviewer will wonder whether you were really a project manager for your skills or simply because you are a people pleaser.

Make sure that you come up with at least one incident where employees and superiors had differences in thought and you were instrumental in changing the scenario.

As an experienced professional, you are bound to have a portfolio, and this is the right time to share such a portfolio with the interviewer. Make sure that the portfolio you share is authentic and has all the work that you have done. Your previous portfolio will decide whether the interviewer will be interested you or not.

It goes without saying that your area managers need to hit budget. They are responsible for their revenues and costs and will be judged primarily on whether they achieve their targets. They need to be clear on how their annual budget is made up and how this translates into the monthly plan for each individual branch and in some cases, the individuals within these branches.

An area manager's duties will include:

☛ Setting sales targets.

☛ Maximizing sales and profitability.

☛ Providing your team with a stimulating and supportive environment.

☛ Maintaining and increasing standards of customer service.

☛ Driving team performance.

☛ Controlling the training and development of your staff.

In retail, area mangers must have customer service excellence embedded in their DNA. Your managers must have a good grasp of the brand values and be meticulous in how they demonstrate them.

Rarely is an inexperienced person taken in as a project manager. Any project manager would have at least two or three years of experience either as an employee or as a project manager. Therefore, this is one of the basic questions asked. Make sure that you give a brief and concise answer to this question, without going too much into the details. Also, make sure that everything you say as an answer to this question is factual and true.

Your retail area managers need to be great communicators and be able to adapt their approach and communication style for different audiences.

The complete area manager Manager's Guide includes the 45 key competencies expected of area manager. The report defines each competency in detail. The report also explains what level of proficiency Area Manager should have in that competency, as well as how important that competency is to performing the role well.

The Area Manager typically serves as member of management and is considered a senior level consulting within the organization. As such, the Area Manager provides functional, technical or process leadership. The organization will depend on this person's management of multiple teams. The Area Manager generally is responsible for high complexity and ambiguity. As such, the Area Manager provides tactical responsibilities.