This question may be posed to you whether you are interviewing for management or not, but if you are interviewing for a supervisory position then you can be almost certain that at some point this question or a variation of it will be presented to you. The best way to handle this question is to make sure that you avoid using any type of labels in your response. Some of the most common types of labels that are used when answering this question include taking a consensus approach or being a progressive manager. This may sound good when you are practicing for an interview, but it can quickly land you in trouble. The reason for this is that different management labels can mean different things to different people. While a particular style might sound find to you, it could mean something entirely different to someone else and if you provide a response that the interviewer understands differently you could easily lose the interview over responding to this one question.
Instead, you should frame your response so that it will indicate you would manage based on the particular situation at that particular time. This is a very safe answer because it is basically a response that will apply across the board. Using this tactic is also a very safe strategy when you have not actually had any management experience but you are presented with this question anyway. The situational style response will ensure that the interviewer knows you understand that every situation is unique and different and calls for discernment based on that situation. Regardless of the particular management style the interviewer prefers or is even looking for, this answer will ensure that you are able to easily steer clear of any dangerous ground and remain neutral.
Remember when you are answering interview questions, in most cases, you want to avoid answers that could be controversial. You just never know when an answer that you provide could be the exact opposite of what the interviewer is looking for. Since you are not able to read the interviewer’s mind, the best course of action is to stick with answers that are as neutral as possible in order to avoid accidentally venturing into a mine field that could cause you to blow the interviewer and lose out on the prospect of getting the job.