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When I first started working, I was so eager to show what I was good for. Make a statement. Make an impression. Every day counted. Every week. And I tried to keep a good face, usually keeping quiet in situations where I didn't fully understand the concepts, trying to come across as smarter and more experienced than I was.
At the time I thought this was a really good strategy. Who was I kidding? I guess the curiosity and confidence comes after a few years in the business. When you feel more established and less insecure about your working role.
These days I love to be the rookie, and stay the rookie as long as I can. With rookie I mean the "unknowing party" the new person on the block. The person who is ALLOWED TO ASK THE STUPID QUESTIONS. Basically, with my new job, I have been here a few months already, and I am daily exercising the right to ask about everything and question every decision made in the past.
Where would we be without questions? And above all, where would we be without QUESTIONING? Value your right to question. Value your right to be curious. Why or why not are the questions children learn the world through, and we parents find it somewhat annoying, but remember: it is through these questions they learn and come up with the most creative solutions!
So why not use these questions yourself? Why are we doing it this way? Why is this team handling these assignments, when it could scale better if sales owned them? Why did you decide to make this a linear process instead of parallel? Why do you do task A before task B?
NEVER STOP QUESTIONING and you will see that sometimes the world has changed, and people have just become complacent with how things are. And you storm in like the fresh new thinker that you are, changing things, and questioning routines, making the company more productive and more innovative. And you also inspire others to think as well. And start questioning.
Just be strong when people who do not like questions, who do not appreciate to be challenged or questioned, whose experience and superiority is assumed to overrule any questions....be aware because these people are out there: the scared managers afraid to loose their respect of their employees if they don't know what is right, the comfortable CxOs that think they already know everything there is to know.
Be aware, and make sure you are not one of them! Start questioning what you already knew. Maybe you can learn the world a second time around, and find the joy of being a rookie once more. It is very liberating and very inspiring.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO QUESTION. SO WHY NOT DO IT?
Showing posts with label questions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label questions. Show all posts
Monday, November 9, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Interview Tricks
Got a question today from one of the women I am coaching, on how she should prepare for her next interview. Well, I don't know if I have anything out of the ordinary here, but here are a few things that have made me a more attractive candidate and that also makes candidates stick out when I happen to be interviewing.
1) Always dress classy, but low-key. A tidy fresh and yet stylish first impression opens the door instead of creating challenges from the minute you enter a room
2) Always read about the company in advance, and ask related questions to the interviewers on what you found, so they realize that you have done your research and that you are genuinely interested in how the future for the company looks like and what their visions are
3) During an interview the interviewers always check for three things and I have this rule: Brain, Heart, and Feet.
--- Brain: do you have the right competence, experience, and mindset for the job / role / assignment --- here you should try to match your previous experiences with the role you are applying for, and highlight education or previous experience with what the company is producing. Also show how your other experiences will enrich the value you may bring to the company. That will build up for the actual salary negotiation.
--- Heart: do you have the right values to fit with the team at hand. Sometimes you can have the best of competence, but you will still not complement the team. This is many times a reason why you get turned down (if your competence is a match, but you still don't get the job) --- here you should try to really be honest with who you are, as you don't want to end up matched in a team on someone you are not. Think about that you will spend at least 8 hrs a day with the team, and it would only be valuable for your progress if you were in a team that you can learn from and that you can contribute to. So be as honest as you can, without down selling yourself an inch. Only use positive words when describing yourself. And use some of your strengths as weaknesses (e.g. strength: organization, weakness: less flexible at times; strength: strong leader / decision maker, weakness: sometimes forgets to take time to listen to weaker voices in a meeting).
--- Feet: where are you going? A company always sees a recruitment as an investment. Investing in you, money and time, will it lead to a good harvest? Are you intending to stay with the company for as long as it takes to get you up to speed and also get some profit of their investment? Hence, always think about a 3 year vision within the company, that you can bring up in a suitable context. E.g. "Well, I can see that perhaps three years from now, I would have built out this team to handle not only the marketing but also the channel relationships and customer reference programs...." It shows that you have a plan to stay, and a plan to develop things going forward. A good candidate for investment!
4) Confidence is key, but bragging is a turnoff. It is a problem often among my girl friends that they get very nervous before an interview. Not feeling their true worth. Always feel like you are worth a fortune going into any interview. That your time is money. That they really need you. Don't ever let anyone downplay your worth. And believe me they will try, if not for any other reason but to get to a good negotiation start point, e.g. a cheap one for the company.
5) Never give a number. Never discuss salary in your first interview. Always treat your first interview as YOUR interview with them. Checking THEM out if THEY would be the right fit for YOU. That makes you more attractive in the company's eyes. Just like in dating!
6) Don't fear silence. They will probably test you in different ways how you react to stress. Some interviewers use silence as a trigger. Don't fear it. Embrace it. Wait. And then wait some more. And if you really can't wait more for them to ask a question. Have a question ready for them - open ended - so you can buy time, if you need to.
7) On questions that hits you off guard, breathe, wait, and ask for clarification or ask a counter question. That will buy you time to think what to answer. E.g. "well...hm....can you please elaborate what you mean with...." or "Well, I would like to think about this question for a while before I answer". You have time. And all questions aren't meant to be answered immediately.
8) Be professional (no nervous or bad jokes) and positive (don't show any bad moods or anger, even if they turn out to be unprofessional or rude - yes, this has happened to me...). You don't gain anything on loosing your temper. Just leave politely if the interview is not respectful, with the excuse that you have realized the job will probably not meet your expectations.
I am sure there are many more tips on this, as it is a very common topic. Here are a few books on the topic, for extensive preparation. However, I usually think you should be just enough prepared. A natural behavior is better for both you and the recruiters, as that will assure a better match-making. And if you really are super nervous, and it is your first job interview after college or something....well....tell them. It will reveal a card from your hand, but it may also make you feel a bit more comfortable, which may help you win in the end.
Good luck!
Books:
1) Always dress classy, but low-key. A tidy fresh and yet stylish first impression opens the door instead of creating challenges from the minute you enter a room
2) Always read about the company in advance, and ask related questions to the interviewers on what you found, so they realize that you have done your research and that you are genuinely interested in how the future for the company looks like and what their visions are
3) During an interview the interviewers always check for three things and I have this rule: Brain, Heart, and Feet.
--- Brain: do you have the right competence, experience, and mindset for the job / role / assignment --- here you should try to match your previous experiences with the role you are applying for, and highlight education or previous experience with what the company is producing. Also show how your other experiences will enrich the value you may bring to the company. That will build up for the actual salary negotiation.
--- Heart: do you have the right values to fit with the team at hand. Sometimes you can have the best of competence, but you will still not complement the team. This is many times a reason why you get turned down (if your competence is a match, but you still don't get the job) --- here you should try to really be honest with who you are, as you don't want to end up matched in a team on someone you are not. Think about that you will spend at least 8 hrs a day with the team, and it would only be valuable for your progress if you were in a team that you can learn from and that you can contribute to. So be as honest as you can, without down selling yourself an inch. Only use positive words when describing yourself. And use some of your strengths as weaknesses (e.g. strength: organization, weakness: less flexible at times; strength: strong leader / decision maker, weakness: sometimes forgets to take time to listen to weaker voices in a meeting).
--- Feet: where are you going? A company always sees a recruitment as an investment. Investing in you, money and time, will it lead to a good harvest? Are you intending to stay with the company for as long as it takes to get you up to speed and also get some profit of their investment? Hence, always think about a 3 year vision within the company, that you can bring up in a suitable context. E.g. "Well, I can see that perhaps three years from now, I would have built out this team to handle not only the marketing but also the channel relationships and customer reference programs...." It shows that you have a plan to stay, and a plan to develop things going forward. A good candidate for investment!
4) Confidence is key, but bragging is a turnoff. It is a problem often among my girl friends that they get very nervous before an interview. Not feeling their true worth. Always feel like you are worth a fortune going into any interview. That your time is money. That they really need you. Don't ever let anyone downplay your worth. And believe me they will try, if not for any other reason but to get to a good negotiation start point, e.g. a cheap one for the company.
5) Never give a number. Never discuss salary in your first interview. Always treat your first interview as YOUR interview with them. Checking THEM out if THEY would be the right fit for YOU. That makes you more attractive in the company's eyes. Just like in dating!
6) Don't fear silence. They will probably test you in different ways how you react to stress. Some interviewers use silence as a trigger. Don't fear it. Embrace it. Wait. And then wait some more. And if you really can't wait more for them to ask a question. Have a question ready for them - open ended - so you can buy time, if you need to.
7) On questions that hits you off guard, breathe, wait, and ask for clarification or ask a counter question. That will buy you time to think what to answer. E.g. "well...hm....can you please elaborate what you mean with...." or "Well, I would like to think about this question for a while before I answer". You have time. And all questions aren't meant to be answered immediately.
8) Be professional (no nervous or bad jokes) and positive (don't show any bad moods or anger, even if they turn out to be unprofessional or rude - yes, this has happened to me...). You don't gain anything on loosing your temper. Just leave politely if the interview is not respectful, with the excuse that you have realized the job will probably not meet your expectations.
I am sure there are many more tips on this, as it is a very common topic. Here are a few books on the topic, for extensive preparation. However, I usually think you should be just enough prepared. A natural behavior is better for both you and the recruiters, as that will assure a better match-making. And if you really are super nervous, and it is your first job interview after college or something....well....tell them. It will reveal a card from your hand, but it may also make you feel a bit more comfortable, which may help you win in the end.
Good luck!
Books:
- Getting the job even though no one is hiring: http://www.amazon.com/Want-Even-When-Ones-Hiring/dp/0470457414/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257400492&sr=8-2
- Ten mistakes to avoid: http://www.amazon.com/Critical-Mistakes-Avoid-Initial-Interview/dp/B001QOGX78/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257400984&sr=8-3
- Tips to smart answers for tough questions: http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Answers-Interview-Questions-ebook/dp/B001POX728/ref=pd_sim_kinc_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2 (there are many books like this one)
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Teach Others to Fish
We all know the saying of: "Give a man a fish, and he will not go hungry for the night. Teach him how to fish, and he will never go hungry again". (Comes in many versions...)
During my first work years I used to run to my boss all the time with urgent issues. I was insecure on what was the right things to do. I didn't trust my own experience and knowledge. And I was afraid to make mistakes.
My boss of course was annoyed with it, he must have been. But he showed me a lot of patience, and in the end helped me to help myself, by NOT SOLVING MY PROBLEMS. The times when he sent me back with the words: "So, what are you standing here for? Go solve it!" I was so frustrated that he had not helped me. It was only later I understood his invaluable help. He helped me help myself.
The ability to let go of helping/do the problem solving for someone and the ability to separate "my problems" from "your problems" from "our problems" are rare in any relationships. I see managers failing constantly. I see marriages failing constantly. And I do acknowledge that is is very tough to learn. However it is SO ESSENTIAL for successful and healthy relationships.
It is most of the time a long-term good management strategy to let people sort their problems out themselves. One reason is the employees grow through their problem solving, another is they feel accomplished when the problem has been fixed, and in the end let's not forget the fact that you get a little less worries to care about as a manager if you learn to let go of certain categories of problems.
And believe me, this is not a lazy approach, if it comes across to you that way. It is a survival approach. If you choose to handle all problems your employees encounter, placing yourself as the go-to-for-every-answer-person. Then you will in the end have a staff that depends on you entirely - yes, you will feel very needed and as if you can't ever leave work for a day - but you also many times end up in a burning spot. You are the bottleneck for all decisions being made.
I tell you this: You don't want that. You do want to strive for independent workers, that come to you with the REAL problems. That they can't solve themselves. You want to build a staff that you can trust and rely on that are secure in their roles. So they grow into greater problem solvers and make your business bloom.
You micro managers out there - LET GO! Clarify the responsibility and the goals. And the consequences. Then leave people to do their job.
In this process, you will need trust and patience. Patience to let people make the wrong decisions sometimes. Patience to ask questions instead of boosting out your own solution and opinions. Trust in their capability and growth. If you practise your patience and trust, you will end up with your team one day teaching YOU new things, and making YOU grow. That, my friends, is the reward.
Practise just to listen. Sometimes a problem just needs to be ventilated. The best solution you can hand your employees are the guiding questions they can learn to ask themselves in time: "OK, so you've told me this, this, and this. What are you going to do about it? What are your alternatives? And what are the consequences?"
With this simple question set, you have clearly stated the responsibility of solving the problem is theirs. You have also opened the road for alternative solutions. And you have guided them to think of the outcome of action choice. And best of all you have not tainted their creative minds with your opinions yet. Once they are done coming up with alternatives, you should:
1. Reward them (so they feel good about their process discovery): "Good suggestions."
2. Add additional options if necessary: "Another thing you can look into is...." "In addition to those options, I would also suggest looking at..."
3. Guide them towards the next step: "So now that you have the options, what will you do next and why?"
As a manager, you should only act as a process accelerator. The employees are hired to do their jobs. And you are the guide and enabler the help them achieve the goals. Just try that thought and see how it fits you.
And then again, patience, trust, listen. You will see results.
During my first work years I used to run to my boss all the time with urgent issues. I was insecure on what was the right things to do. I didn't trust my own experience and knowledge. And I was afraid to make mistakes.
My boss of course was annoyed with it, he must have been. But he showed me a lot of patience, and in the end helped me to help myself, by NOT SOLVING MY PROBLEMS. The times when he sent me back with the words: "So, what are you standing here for? Go solve it!" I was so frustrated that he had not helped me. It was only later I understood his invaluable help. He helped me help myself.
The ability to let go of helping/do the problem solving for someone and the ability to separate "my problems" from "your problems" from "our problems" are rare in any relationships. I see managers failing constantly. I see marriages failing constantly. And I do acknowledge that is is very tough to learn. However it is SO ESSENTIAL for successful and healthy relationships.
It is most of the time a long-term good management strategy to let people sort their problems out themselves. One reason is the employees grow through their problem solving, another is they feel accomplished when the problem has been fixed, and in the end let's not forget the fact that you get a little less worries to care about as a manager if you learn to let go of certain categories of problems.
And believe me, this is not a lazy approach, if it comes across to you that way. It is a survival approach. If you choose to handle all problems your employees encounter, placing yourself as the go-to-for-every-answer-person. Then you will in the end have a staff that depends on you entirely - yes, you will feel very needed and as if you can't ever leave work for a day - but you also many times end up in a burning spot. You are the bottleneck for all decisions being made.
I tell you this: You don't want that. You do want to strive for independent workers, that come to you with the REAL problems. That they can't solve themselves. You want to build a staff that you can trust and rely on that are secure in their roles. So they grow into greater problem solvers and make your business bloom.
You micro managers out there - LET GO! Clarify the responsibility and the goals. And the consequences. Then leave people to do their job.
In this process, you will need trust and patience. Patience to let people make the wrong decisions sometimes. Patience to ask questions instead of boosting out your own solution and opinions. Trust in their capability and growth. If you practise your patience and trust, you will end up with your team one day teaching YOU new things, and making YOU grow. That, my friends, is the reward.
Practise just to listen. Sometimes a problem just needs to be ventilated. The best solution you can hand your employees are the guiding questions they can learn to ask themselves in time: "OK, so you've told me this, this, and this. What are you going to do about it? What are your alternatives? And what are the consequences?"
With this simple question set, you have clearly stated the responsibility of solving the problem is theirs. You have also opened the road for alternative solutions. And you have guided them to think of the outcome of action choice. And best of all you have not tainted their creative minds with your opinions yet. Once they are done coming up with alternatives, you should:
1. Reward them (so they feel good about their process discovery): "Good suggestions."
2. Add additional options if necessary: "Another thing you can look into is...." "In addition to those options, I would also suggest looking at..."
3. Guide them towards the next step: "So now that you have the options, what will you do next and why?"
As a manager, you should only act as a process accelerator. The employees are hired to do their jobs. And you are the guide and enabler the help them achieve the goals. Just try that thought and see how it fits you.
And then again, patience, trust, listen. You will see results.
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