The Successful Interview - May Not be an Interview

Both as the interviewee and the interviewer. . .I have experienced the hiring interview from both sides of the table.  Candidly, it's fraught with difficulties.

• The interviewee often is very concerned about how they are coming across and, consequently, is not coming across very well.   Crazy enough, I have witnessed that interviewers are perhaps equally concerned about how they are presenting themselves.    Consequently, you have two parties who are not really meeting but instead both are presenting a monologue in which they are constantly interrupting each other.
• The "insightful" interview questions. . .where do people come up with this stuff?  "Give us an example of an utter catastrophe that you created in your previous position and how you tried to regain your compromised integrity and what shreds you may have had left of a  professional image after making a  complete and utter buffoon of yourself."    Okay, that may be an exaggeration - but not by much.
• The panel interview defined:   "Up to 32 people (who wish they were doing something else), who you may never see again, who are probably more concerned with how clever their questions look to their peers versus gleaning information from the potential candidate."

So here's a thought. . .ditch the tricky questions (or tricky answers), drop the "address to impress" demeanor, stop trying to please everyone (and in the process, pleasing no one in the slightest). . .and have a conversation already!

As an employer, you know your business and what you are looking for - have a conversation around that.  Invite your candidate to ask questions about the business (you will learn a lot from what they choose to ask and how they choose to ask it) and do this early on vs. at the end of the interview as a closing volley.  Make the interviewee comfortable  and relaxed . . .by being comfortable and relaxed yourself.  And remember, you need to sell yourself and the job. . .you want that candidate to want to work for you!

As an interviewee, often it is implied you are the one without the power.   Not true.  Re-read the last sentence of the previous paragraph.   It is incumbent upon you to not only  present your skills and strengths - but to know the business well enough that you can converse intelligently about what your contribution can be.  Often by the why you choose to interact you can create a conversation.   Don't wait to be invited to ask questions - but ask questions early on so that you are engaging your potential employer.

This is a truth. . .I knew I wanted to hire the candidate who would end up being one of most valued team members from  a fly-by conversation with her in the hallway.  It was relaxed, informative and in just a few minutes, I knew she was a great candidate.

It wasn't an interview. . . it was a conversation.

By the way - I would love to know the very worst interview questions you have witnessed - comment on the blog or comment on my pages on LinkedIn or Facebook.   Be prepared - I may share these (anonymously, of course) in a future blog.

My book, "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available for e-readers, tablets and PCs on Amazon Kindle.

Excess Baggage Fees

Let us talk excess baggage in the workplace.  No, I'm not referencing the overstuffed computer carryall that practically screams, "I'm a martyr for my job and don't have a personal life," nor am I talking about the ginormous Louis Vuitton bag into which one could fit a significant portion of the 13th Arrondissement.

Instead, I'm talking about the excess emotional baggage that people bring to work.   There are moments when we would all like to levy a fine:

• $50 for bringing personal insecurities to work
• $25 for failing to leave the latest family conflagration curbside
• $100 for packing interoffice, interpersonal conflict

Ludicrous?   Yes, it is.   Instead, we need to positively deal with such issues on a daily basis.  As opposed to unrealistic directives such as, "Leave your personal crap at home," we need to recognize these as coaching opportunities with which to build a better team member and stronger workplace.

First and foremost, listening is incredibly important to helping people unwind.   Often I have found that people just need an ear - and if they pick you, as their leader, that's probably the best choice they could make.   Their conversation should be safe and confidential.   It also provides you with additional information about the individual that will help you guide that person to a fuller, more rewarding career.

In fact, I find it is almost impossible to completely differentiate between an individual's personal and professional lives. . .and as such, it is impossible to bring a team member to a fuller fruition of their potential without dealing with the personal baggage that, let's face it, we all carry.

Emotional intelligence should be engaged as the strongest skill set that allows you to commiserate, draw distinctions and help the individual gain new perspectives.  Your sensitivity and your wisdom is relied upon by all team members to help them get through the difficult issues in their lives.

Excess baggage?  We all have it.   Dealing with it positively, using emotional intelligence, will make you a stronger leader and provide all with a better team environment.

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My book, "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders"  is available for e-readers, tablets and PCs on Amazon Kindle.

Why Elaine Stritch Matters. . .and Will Always Matter

Reading the news today that Elaine Stritch passed from this Earth was both cause for sorrow. . .and celebration of a gutsy entertainer, the likes of which we see entirely too infrequently.

Kevin Fallon, in his Daily Beast memoriam (appropriately titled, "Elaine Stritch Pinched My Butt and Changed My Life") hit it sublimely with this:

In April 2013, she performed one last show at the Café Carlyle, Elaine Stritch at the Carlyle: Movin’ Over and Out. In its review of the show, The New York Times said, “Like Carol Channing and Liza Minnelli, she epitomizes traditional show business brass and resilience: a ‘give it all you’ve got’ dedication to entertaining.”

Give it all you've got.

There's the key to her success and longevity.   Yes, she had unparalleled timing.   And, yes, she could belt it out like Merman.   Those were the vehicles. . .the fuel that makes someone really great is this:  give it all you've got.

Measure the level of Stritch's entertainment contribution to some of today's stars (and I'm definitely including the rash of so-called reality stars in this) who enrich their coffers through minimum efforts and maximum sensationalism.   With little real regard for their audience, they truly give the least. . .but expect the most return.  In turn, we have little respect for them because they have given so little

Stritch gave her most.

Fallon tells of when Stritch was doing a cast recording of Stephen Sondheim's "Company.". It was her legendary number  "Here's to the Ladies Who Lunch.".  She was in agony, head in hands, because she felt her voice was not giving her what she needed to do justice to the song.   Unrelenting, she kept trying until she finally nailed it.

And the thing is, it was palpable.    Even watching her on television, one could feel that she was giving everything she had.

So why am I talking about giving it your most in a blog about leadership?    People shouldn't need to ask.

Another one of Stritch's legends was a number from Sondheim's Follies, "I'm Still Here."

Yes, she is. . .and while other stars fade, because she gave us all she had, she always will be.

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My book, "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available for e-readers, tablets and PCs from Amazon Kindle.

Leap of Faith

The ordered norm of business is such:   goal, strategy and tactics.    There are times in business. . .and in life. . .when the ordered norm is thrown into a blender of chaos:  a crisis arises, an unexpected hitch occurs or you are called upon to do the seemingly impossible (how the hell am I supposed to do THAT!?!   And how soon!?!).

Those times, you need to take a leap of faith. . .meaning you pretty much know where you are headed - but tactically, you may not have a clue.   Shoot, you may even need to try things that are unproven.   All you can do is solidly place one foot ahead of the other and keep moving forward toward the goal.

It is an act of faith. . .and not the kind of faith that is blind, but is founded in the resources that surround you.    These, then, are the elements that should be your best partners when you need to move forward in a time of uncertainty.

Surround yourself with good people.  Absolutely essential.  You cannot win without a good team.

Know that your philosophical core is solid.  Integrity.  Honesty.  Loyalty.   If your core belief structure is solid. . .you are stronger and can do much more, and take greater risks, than you realize.

Have confidence that you are centered.  Foundationally, you need to  feel that you are able to make tough and quick decisions, you need to know that you are emotionally balanced to deal with uncertainty and you must have trust in your ability to keep yourself nurtured and stable. . .people are depending on you.

Know that not everything you do is going to be right.   No one is perfect - you're not going to do everything right. . .but your intent will be honest.   Don't suffer from the malady of inaction just to assure that everything is perfect.

Know your business and know your team.   To have a strong working knowledge of the important elements of your business. . .and the strengths and weaknesses of your team. . .gives you the ability to build good solutions. . .quickly.


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My book, "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available for e-readers, tablets and PCs from Amazon Kindle.