Recently I have found myself in several interview situations which left me really appalled at the lack of business acumen that was displayed. I am going to share one of these stories with the hope that it helps interviewers, as well as candidates, make the most of opportunities.
It started with a simple email inviting me to an interview. The company seemed to have a very professional approach and through the emails that were exchanged I was initially impressed. In these exchanges, they sent me in-depth information pertaining to the position, which I was able to use to create a presentation of what I could offer in this role. I spent many hours compiling this document and studying it so as to be fully prepared for my interview. My preparation even included a “drive-by” the location, which was in a city setting, so as to locate parking.
The day finally arrived and my preparation seemed to pay off. I arrived the customary 10-15 minutes early and was ready for action. I took a seat in the reception area and began my wait. And, I waited. And, I waited. Finally, 20 minutes after my appointment was scheduled to begin, two gentlemen came out. One was a candidate for the same position I was interviewing for and the other was the interviewer. Definitely awkward! What made it worse was the interviewer didn’t even offer an apology. Honestly, I was somewhat offended. Did they not value my time? If they couldn’t properly schedule interviews, what would it be like to work for them?
I didn’t say anything and the tour and interview proceeded. The general atmosphere of the company was strange. People were working in isolated offices with minimal interaction. For the first 45 minutes, the interviewer didn’t stop talking long enough to ask me a question! When another interviewer joined us, it was clear to me that they had not reviewed my resume or presentation. While I was prepared, they were not. Sure the job was a perfect fit for my abilities and skills, but I left with serious reservations about their culture and my experiences there. Since the actual job duties where very close to my capabilities, I proceed to send a follow-up thank you and I accepted the opportunity for a second interview.
When that day arrived, once again I arrived 10-15 minutes early. Can you see where this is going? I waited and I waited and I waited. 35 minutes passed. Not only was I waiting but the candidate who was to be interviewed after me arrived and was waiting with me! It was ridiculous. On top of these indiscretions, many of the people that I was supposed to meet with were walking around and never stopped to apologize and explain. This was the second time it happened and with such blatant acts of disrespect, I walked. Yes, I walked out. I don’t care how intriguing the position might have been; clearly the culture would not have been well suited to me. If they couldn’t display common courtesy and manners in an interview situation, what would it have been like to work for them?
A few days later I received an email. It included an apology, a note that they considered me a strong candidate and of course a very defensive explanation of their actions. They didn’t get it. I knew I was a strong candidate – they didn’t need to tell me that as a person knows when they have aced an interview. They completely missed the point that while I may have wowed them, they certainly did not wow me. Their lack of business acumen cost them a strong candidate. Companies need to remember that they are not only interviewing a candidate, they themselves are being interviewed. On the other side, candidates really need a critical eye when looking at a company. Sounds harsh? Think about it – is it better to take a job regardless of the warning signals and be miserable OR is it better to walk away and wait for the right opportunity.
To sum it up, here are your take-aways for this week:
1. On both sides, first impressions count as do seconds and thirds. Make the most of these opportunities.
2. Companies, please act with courtesy and respect. Act as if you were the candidate. Be prepared and be on time. If you are unavoidably late, make the candidate comfortable. Bring them to a conference room or office so they are not in an uncomfortable situation. Show respect to win the strong candidates. By doing so you are embracing business acumen and attracting the best people to move your business forward.
3. As for candidates, in preparing to present yourself don’t forget to look closely at the whole picture. Look carefully at interactions and culture. Admittedly, you might HAVE to take a job but if at all possible make sure it will be a good fit for you, not only in the sense of capabilities but also what you want in an atmosphere. Don’t be afraid to walk away. Something better awaits – I am sure of it.
The age old adage applies here: treat people as you want to be treated. To do so will only increase your business acumen. Remember, business acumen is more than numbers - it includes the entire experience share by customers, employees and prospects alike. Embrace it and you will prosper. Ignore it and they will just walk away.
Finally, I hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday season. I look forward to sharing more stories with you in the New Year and I truly hope we find our successes together.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Just because it is entertaining doesn't make it real...
Last week I discussed the need to separate reality shows designed for entertainment from the reality of day to day business. It is such a compelling topic that I think it deserves more than one post, so here is a continuation…
In the camera angles of reality television, producers of such shows are looking for controversy and drama rather than a full description of the actual events. Who will undermine who and who will be eliminated become the dominant themes in short snippets of footage of a nearly impossible task. Forget the details – instead continually replay the shots that will create the most buzz to increase ratings. Also, condense days filled with many narrowly focused players into about 35 minutes of content. It is a formula that goes for the cheap shots that will play well in the previews. It is an approach that all too often translates into business through hasty judgments and subjective opinions that are based on incomplete facts and office gossip. Business judgments can be inconsiderate and grossly incomplete. Who among us hasn’t been hurt, probably on more than one occasion, by these situations? Who among us hasn’t wished that people would look at the entire situation before passing judgment? Who among us has actually made decisions based on hasty judgments?
To expand upon the thought of achieving better business acumen through improved judgment, consider this…how do you want to be judged in your particular business setting? Remember – judgment doesn’t just come from the people you report to. In business we are also judged by our customers, peers, mentors, subordinates or even external forces such as the media and public opinion. With any of those groups, would you want to be judged on one narrowly focused effort or event? Sure, if that effort suits your strengths than the judgment may be great, but, how often is that likely to happen? Sometimes we have a bad day or miss the mark on an effort. There may be countless other issues to consider such as a shift in priorities or a technology failure. Rather than taking the “Project Runway Approach “of such myopic scrutiny, shouldn’t we allow for the consideration of the entire situation?
By looking at the overall picture and trying to understand the different aspects of an individual situation, a more comprehensive judgment can be reached. While most of us don’t have idle hours to spend on every exacting detail, we can’t use that for an excuse. In dealing with judgments it is incumbent upon us to make the time. Because a quick and hasty approach plays well on television doesn’t mean we have a free pass to behave the same way. We must rise above the fray to be as impartial as possible. Admittedly, that is not always easy. In rising above we might have to face our own shortcomings or those of our organization – but isn’t that the point? Shouldn’t we face these shortcomings head on so as to have a clear view of our business reality and understand what it needs to succeed? Remember, this clear view cannot be clouded by the haze of what is produced for entertainment purposes – it has to be based on the development of sound judgment skills.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I do like some of these shows. I admire the innovation seen in the designs of Project Runway and it can be entertaining. As business leaders, we just have to remember that what is entertaining might not be real. By separating fact from fiction, we will continue on our road towards better business acumen.
In the camera angles of reality television, producers of such shows are looking for controversy and drama rather than a full description of the actual events. Who will undermine who and who will be eliminated become the dominant themes in short snippets of footage of a nearly impossible task. Forget the details – instead continually replay the shots that will create the most buzz to increase ratings. Also, condense days filled with many narrowly focused players into about 35 minutes of content. It is a formula that goes for the cheap shots that will play well in the previews. It is an approach that all too often translates into business through hasty judgments and subjective opinions that are based on incomplete facts and office gossip. Business judgments can be inconsiderate and grossly incomplete. Who among us hasn’t been hurt, probably on more than one occasion, by these situations? Who among us hasn’t wished that people would look at the entire situation before passing judgment? Who among us has actually made decisions based on hasty judgments?
To expand upon the thought of achieving better business acumen through improved judgment, consider this…how do you want to be judged in your particular business setting? Remember – judgment doesn’t just come from the people you report to. In business we are also judged by our customers, peers, mentors, subordinates or even external forces such as the media and public opinion. With any of those groups, would you want to be judged on one narrowly focused effort or event? Sure, if that effort suits your strengths than the judgment may be great, but, how often is that likely to happen? Sometimes we have a bad day or miss the mark on an effort. There may be countless other issues to consider such as a shift in priorities or a technology failure. Rather than taking the “Project Runway Approach “of such myopic scrutiny, shouldn’t we allow for the consideration of the entire situation?
By looking at the overall picture and trying to understand the different aspects of an individual situation, a more comprehensive judgment can be reached. While most of us don’t have idle hours to spend on every exacting detail, we can’t use that for an excuse. In dealing with judgments it is incumbent upon us to make the time. Because a quick and hasty approach plays well on television doesn’t mean we have a free pass to behave the same way. We must rise above the fray to be as impartial as possible. Admittedly, that is not always easy. In rising above we might have to face our own shortcomings or those of our organization – but isn’t that the point? Shouldn’t we face these shortcomings head on so as to have a clear view of our business reality and understand what it needs to succeed? Remember, this clear view cannot be clouded by the haze of what is produced for entertainment purposes – it has to be based on the development of sound judgment skills.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I do like some of these shows. I admire the innovation seen in the designs of Project Runway and it can be entertaining. As business leaders, we just have to remember that what is entertaining might not be real. By separating fact from fiction, we will continue on our road towards better business acumen.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Avoiding the Project Runway Approach
Happy Holidays and welcome to what should be a gracious time of year. I have been gathering more experiences to share with you over the last few weeks and can’t wait to write about them. First though is a post that I have wanted to write for a long time…
Over the past 10 years reality shows have really taken hold of our culture. What started with glimpses into personal situations has evolved into staged business settings. From the Apprentice to Design Star to Project Runway, people are putting their professional lives in the hands of reality show producers. Before I go any further, here is my disclaimer – I have watched some of these shows and really like Project Runway, my chosen example for this post. The designers are amazing to me as I love fashion but cannot sew more than an emergency repair. That being said, to achieve and maintain business acumen we must separate how a television show is produced and edited for an entertaining 60 minute time spot versus how we act in our everyday lives. After all, do we want to go around thinking that “one day we are in and the next day we’re out?”
This line is often spoken by one of the hosts of Project Runway and could be extremely detrimental if it were to be used in a true business setting. Think about it - what kind of confidence will a statement like that inspire? “One day you’re in and the next you’re out?!” Would that make you want to go to work every morning? The decisions about who wins and loses on a Project Runway-type show are based on subjective opinions. The entirety of a designers work is not the basis for elimination decision. Instead the television producers chose a format that requires a decision that is dependent on a single project. In addition to the threat of having their projects judge in a singular and subjective manner, the designers perform their work under extremely trying conditions such as severe time constraints and/or limited materials. Day in and day out, over the course of the show there never seems to be enough time to work, sleep or function as a normal human should! Seemingly all of this would combine to increase ratings as people tune in to see who cannot make it and is voted off but we absolutely must not let this mindset translate to our businesses. Let me repeat that – we MUST NOT let these reality shows, designed for our entertainment, influence the way we conduct business.
To grow and thrive, people need the freedom of being challenged without the threat of dismissal. To live under such a threat would shatter anyone’s confidence. Without confidence, you cannot obtain business acumen. Period. No debate on this one. We shouldn’t drive to work thinking that if we make one mistake we could lose our job. Of course, I am not talking about extreme situations – I am referring to judging someone on the entire course of their work. We are human and we make mistakes. It is better to take a calculated risk and be wrong, then not to take the risk at all. As leaders we need to be gracious and accept that not everyone is perfect all the time – ourselves included. By raising our level of graciousness and taking a professional approach in situations of judgment we can set an example for those around us. The goal is not to be a harsh judge of a nearly impossible task. Business acumen will flourish when we meet challenges as a team and create confidence that it is better to try and fail, then not to try at all.
Over the past 10 years reality shows have really taken hold of our culture. What started with glimpses into personal situations has evolved into staged business settings. From the Apprentice to Design Star to Project Runway, people are putting their professional lives in the hands of reality show producers. Before I go any further, here is my disclaimer – I have watched some of these shows and really like Project Runway, my chosen example for this post. The designers are amazing to me as I love fashion but cannot sew more than an emergency repair. That being said, to achieve and maintain business acumen we must separate how a television show is produced and edited for an entertaining 60 minute time spot versus how we act in our everyday lives. After all, do we want to go around thinking that “one day we are in and the next day we’re out?”
This line is often spoken by one of the hosts of Project Runway and could be extremely detrimental if it were to be used in a true business setting. Think about it - what kind of confidence will a statement like that inspire? “One day you’re in and the next you’re out?!” Would that make you want to go to work every morning? The decisions about who wins and loses on a Project Runway-type show are based on subjective opinions. The entirety of a designers work is not the basis for elimination decision. Instead the television producers chose a format that requires a decision that is dependent on a single project. In addition to the threat of having their projects judge in a singular and subjective manner, the designers perform their work under extremely trying conditions such as severe time constraints and/or limited materials. Day in and day out, over the course of the show there never seems to be enough time to work, sleep or function as a normal human should! Seemingly all of this would combine to increase ratings as people tune in to see who cannot make it and is voted off but we absolutely must not let this mindset translate to our businesses. Let me repeat that – we MUST NOT let these reality shows, designed for our entertainment, influence the way we conduct business.
To grow and thrive, people need the freedom of being challenged without the threat of dismissal. To live under such a threat would shatter anyone’s confidence. Without confidence, you cannot obtain business acumen. Period. No debate on this one. We shouldn’t drive to work thinking that if we make one mistake we could lose our job. Of course, I am not talking about extreme situations – I am referring to judging someone on the entire course of their work. We are human and we make mistakes. It is better to take a calculated risk and be wrong, then not to take the risk at all. As leaders we need to be gracious and accept that not everyone is perfect all the time – ourselves included. By raising our level of graciousness and taking a professional approach in situations of judgment we can set an example for those around us. The goal is not to be a harsh judge of a nearly impossible task. Business acumen will flourish when we meet challenges as a team and create confidence that it is better to try and fail, then not to try at all.
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