Tag Archives: Taking Responsibility

How to Prepare for an Interview

Posted on November 15, 2009 | 3 Comments

Have you ever wondered exactly what you are getting into when you go on an interview? I have. I remember what interviewing was like before web pages, social networks, and Google searches. It was really hard to get any information about a company without knowing someone who worked there. If the company was public you could go to the library and look at microfiche (dating myself!) newspaper articles and business results. That was the extent of it. Unless you were interviewing with someone famous, it was next to impossible to learn anything about the people you would be talking to. These days it is so much easier to be prepared.

I have a few things that I like to do before I interview with a company. Depending on the company and the information that is out there, this can be quite a bit of work – and a lot of times I can’t quite get to it all. Most of this is common sense I hope, but I thought I would write it down for others to think about.

I’ll start at the point where you’ve done enough looking into a company and a position to know that you want to send your resume in for consideration. At this point you should know a bit about the industry, the company and its publicly available financial information. You’ve made it through the resume screening process – and you’ve been contacted for an interview.

First off – ask a lot of questions when the recruiter or HR representative calls you. Find out exactly which group you are interviewing with. This will help you determine what product(s) they are responsible for. Many times the job description will not clearly state this. Don’t forget to ask for the interview schedule and names of the people you will be speaking with during your interview and what their roles are. Knowing if someone will be a peer, a superior or a subordinate and knowing if their role is technical or administrative can help you figure out what to expect when you talk to them.

Next go to the website. Many companies have an entire section devoted to “working at the company”. READ IT! if you haven’t already. You’ll want to concentrate on anything related to corporate culture to understand how you could fit in. Company blogs are great for this. Some sites even have hints about what your interview will be like. You’d be foolish not to pay attention to this information. One company that I talked to required a technical presentation to executives and senior management as part of their process. I knew about this far in advance of my interview day so I could plan for it carefully beforehand.

While you are on the website read as much as you can. If it is a large company with a huge amount of information on the web, concentrate on the appropriate line of business. What I mean by this is to read about the products that the group you are interviewing with is working on. Read the last 6 months worth of press releases from the company to learn about any interesting acquisitions, product releases or corporate sponsorships. Read the company’s most recent report to shareholders. If the company is not publicly traded, do some research on any investors that they mention. Expand your search from there if you have the time.

Once you feel like you’ve hit the important areas on the corporate website, start to branch out. Take the company name and search for the competition. Go to wikipedia and look up the company and its history. Go to yahoo finance or another finance site that you have access to and learn about the company’s recent performance if they are publicly traded.

Take those product names and search for the competition online. Search for product reviews online. Read them.

Ok – that’s a good start regarding the company. Now, the people. :-) This is the fun part. Don’t think of this as stalking – think of this as market research. Keep in mind that the company probably has already done these types of searches before talking to you. This will help level the playing field. Google everyone on your interview list. See what you can learn about their industry involvement, where they’ve been quoted in the press, and maybe even what their personal hobbies are. Read their blogs if you can find them. Look them up on Facebook. A lot of people have public profiles.

My favorite is to look them up on LinkedIn. You’ll find out where they’ve worked and where they went to school. Sometimes you’ll find that they have worked the same place you have, or they have worked with a friend or old coworker. Once you have that kind of information you can learn more about their personality by talking to your contacts. You can also use this to form a bridge – knowing the same people – provided they are people that you both like and respect can help you develop a relationship with your interviewer.

Obviously all of this research won’t help you if you’re not qualified to do the job you are interviewing for. What it will do is make you more comfortable with the company and the people you will be talking to. This will help you come across as more confident and knowledgeable.

Oh – and don’t forget to make sure that you are prepared for skills and knowledge based questioning. Know your resume inside and out!

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Pride in my Work

Posted on September 15, 2009 | Leave a comment

My endless painting saga continues. I guess that is no surprise. As long as I have rooms in my house that haven’t been repainted and I haven’t found the right new work environment, I will continue to update the way my home appears. As I have mentioned before, doing physical labor helps take my mind off of the all consuming job search and it makes me feel like I am accomplishing something useful.

I’m doing all this painting for a few reasons. First, my house is over 10 years old now, and some of the rooms (and all of the ceilings) have not been painted since we moved in. Clearly it is time. After a while walls get dings, dents, and scuff marks and ceilings tend to look a little dingy. In my case the tallest ceilings are also having issues with the sheet rock tape coming loose at the angle joints. Talk about a nightmare. My sheet rockers and painters weren’t the best I’m afraid and I have been repairing their work every time I paint a room. Second, as my job search continues the likelihood of me having to move my family grows. A clean and freshly painted house sells better, pure and simple. I try not to think about the second reason, but it is there, lurking in the back of my mind. This economy might force me to sell my dream home and relocate for a new position.

I don’t know about you – but I never knew the right way to fix loose sheet rock tape before. You’d think that you could just slap on a bunch of spackle and it will stick back down. It doesn’t. I thought maybe I needed more spackle. Well, that made for a lumpy looking ceiling joint, but at 14′ off the ground, it wasn’t *that* noticeable. I sanded and painted it, and figured that I would get to painting the walls today. No dice. While I was up on my ladder taping the ceiling to wall joint (makes for a really clean straight paint edge) I noticed that my patch job wasn’t looking all that professional. It was already starting to crack a bit. I’m sure that it would have held up for a couple of months – or longer. I just didn’t like it, I didn’t feel like I had done my best. I surely wasn’t proud of the job, more embarrassed I would say.

In the meantime I figured out the right way to fix ceiling joint tape. You cut it out and replace the entire section that is coming loose. Between the fact that I didn’t like the way it came out, and the knowledge that I had done it WRONG in the first place it really began to eat at me. I kept hearing that little voice in my head – “You did a crummy job. You really need to do it right. So what if nobody will notice it besides you – you notice that it looks bad.” I have a hard time shutting up that voice. Most times I can’t. I always feel the need to do the best possible job that I can. I guess I need a caveat here – there are times when I don’t have the resources (money, time, expertise) to do the best. I still strive to do the best I can based on the circumstances. Even with that caveat I sometimes am not happy with myself. There are different levels of best – unlimited time and money sometimes can bring a much higher level of “best”. In this case, I had the time. I had the tools (power sanders etc). Joint tape and spackle is dirt cheap (<$10). I had leftover ceiling paint for touch up too. After some learning I now had the expertise. Clearly it was time to tear up my work and start over again. Ouch.

It's had to tear up my own work. I know how hard it was to do in the first place. Even though I wasn't happy with it, I still didn't want to start all over. I thought I was all done with that ceiling. Besides, I had never done this correctly before. What if I screwed it up even more? I just had to jump right in and start yanking up joint tape. So I did. Once I got started, it really wasn't that hard. The worst part was holding an orbital sander high above my head standing on the top of a 10' ladder. Sanding wasn't too bad, it was all the junk that floated down and managed to get under my safety glasses that bothered me.

So now, I wait. The new tape is up and spackled. I'll need to sand it tomorrow to see how it looks. Right now it already looks better than my last attempt. I'm feeling pretty good. I did the right thing.

Reflecting on my work life, I've torn things up and redone them more than once. It's part of who I am. I've rewritten large software subsystems that were showing their age. I've tossed entire designs when an ah-ha moment has hit me. If I am presented with the right opportunity that gives me the time and resources to improve on my work, I will seize it. Sometimes I have had to bide my time. Sometimes I have been very fortunate and have been able to take care of a problem in short order. I've been known to keep lists of things that I am planning on addressing in the future. What can I say, my work is a reflection of who I am. I want my work to be something that I can be proud of.

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The Best Advice I Ever Got

Posted on July 17, 2009 | Leave a comment

“Best advice I ever got” from Fortune Magazine

“In a world of uncertainty, we could all use a little advice. So we asked a host of influential leaders to share with us the wise words that changed their lives forever.”

Thanks to my friend Richard for pointing out this article to me. Lately I’ve been struggling a little bit with what to write about as I have been spending a lot of time on my job search and I really don’t want to write about that ad nauseam. This article made me reflect back on my career to see what advice really sticks out for me.

I remember many years ago when a promotion opportunity didn’t go well for me. I was extremely upset about it and I was having a tough time getting back into my existing role. I think part of the problem is that my career up until that point had been very successful. I hadn’t gotten much strong push back or negative feedback about my work. This time I received a bit – and it wasn’t information that could easily be dismissed because it clearly impacted my future career growth. I was crushed.

My poor manager at the time – who wasn’t the bearer of the bad news had to deal with me in my distress. Thankfully he finally hit upon the one phrase that put what happened into perspective – “Get Over It!” It doesn’t sound like much, but it was what flipped the switch for me. This is the key bit of advice that I’ve taken to heart. Everyone has problems both big and small. Their impact on you depends on how well you are able to learn from them and “get over it”. Resiliency is the key to future success!

“I have not failed 700 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”
- Thomas Edison, Inventor

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Is a Positive Attitude Important?

Posted on May 19, 2009 | Leave a comment

Huh – I got a lot more out of this article by Mike Mahler about positive attitude than I expected. Trust me, this isn’t the usual rah rah positive attitude is everything piece. Mike is one of the fitness professionals that I follow semi-regularly online. Like many other trainers he worked in another field before he decided to focus on his business and I find him to be interesting and articulate in relating real-life professional tales to achieving goals.

I think that the key message here is: You have a goal that you want to achieve. The way to get there is to just get it done. You might not enjoy it, you may not want to do it some of it, and your attitude about the parts you don’t like might not be the best. As long as you are committed to doing it you stand a much better chance of achieving your goals.

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Posted in Tactical

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Crunch It

Posted on January 25, 2009 | Leave a comment

How do you make people want to come in and work the weekend? It is a dilemma that’s for sure. Nobody really wants to work the weekend. As a leader, I hate to ask people to do this, but occasionally it is required in order to meet business objectives. With the current state of the economy it has become more likely that it is required to just keep up with the competition.

Most times, people realize when they need to step up their effort and they’ll work the hours on their own. This is an individual choice based on work ethic and the drive to complete things on time with good quality. I’ve worked with people who will kill themselves because of their drive. On the other hand there are some folks who will only work the extra hours when pushed. In order to get everyone on the same page sometimes you need to issue a management directive. If you’re lucky, the peer pressure alone is enough to motivate everyone to step up. If the culture hasn’t supported that in the past, good luck, it is on the leadership team to instill a sense of urgency.

When I’m in this situation I’ve found that being firm and stating exactly what you are expecting is the best path. Even when you say exactly what you want someone will find a way to misinterpret it. Be very blunt. If you want Saturday to be just like a regular work day, say so. If you need people to work 4 hours or 8 hours, say so.

Now, from a management perspective there are a lot of things that you can do to make this a team effort.

  • Set a goal. Make it somewhat audacious. Make it visible. I’ve seen white boards with lists of work items on them work as a rallying point. Find a way to “cross off” what has been done. Celebrate it!
  • If possible find a way to get the entire team working on the problem. Yes, this may seem to be a little contrived, but if only a handful of people are working it isn’t the same thing as the full team coming in and conquering a problem.
  • Add some fun. You might call it bribery, but food is a great motivator. Bring in bagels or donuts for breakfast. Bring in lunch. Have some beer for the end of the day.
  • The leadership team must show up. Roll up your sleeves, pitch in anyway you can. If you ask people to work, you must work too.
  • The leadership team must recognize the sacrifices the team has made. Don’t forget those 2 little words. “Thank you.”

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Adaptability

Posted on January 2, 2009 | 1 Comment

Do you adapt well to changing or uncomfortable circumstances? Really? Are you sure? I’m not convinced. It’s a skill that not everyone has. In fact, I would say that most people are pretty change averse. Personally I am not. I itch for change. My husband says that I like to change things and try the unfamiliar just for the sake of the experience, not because of any other reason.

On my trip one couple was truly unable to cope with difficult circumstances. They inconvenienced many people in the process of trying to get comfortable, and they felt entitled to do so. This was done under the guise of “taking care of myself first” and it was done without any regard to how it impacted anyone else. It was clear that they expected their little bubble of USA standard of living comfort to follow them regardless of where they were in the world.

First off – let me tell you a little bit about the cabin that my husband and I shared during the trip. It was one of the smallest berths on the boat. We were expecting a full sized bed in it. When we got there, we found two smaller than twin bed bunks that were at different heights with a wooden board between them. They were at different heights because the bunks were located directly over one of the two big diesel engines that powered the boat from island to island over night. By directly, I mean that there was a hatch that we could open and we could see the engine. When the wind wasn’t right, diesel exhaust fumes came in through our very small open windows when the engines were running. There was no a/c (expected) so the windows had to remain open. There was only enough floor space in the cabin proper for one of us to stand if the other wasn’t in the bathroom. The shower was a hand held and the process of using it involved sitting on the toilet. This was no problem for us. This was the trip of a lifetime and we found that the vibration of the diesel engine helped lull us to sleep after a long hard day. The beds were extremely comfortable as well – regardless of their size. The open window in the roof of our cabin gave us a view of some of the most spectacular starry skies I have ever seen. There was no light pollution to speak of and the sight was amazing. I am truly thankful for the experience we had, and I don’t think that it would have been anywhere near the same in a big boat with a big suite with a/c and the light pollution of a cruise ship.

Flash to their experience. They had one of the best and largest cabins on the boat. It was on the front of the boat, far from the diesel engine noise and vibration at the back. They had a long corridor in their cabin – they even had drawers. (yes! Drawers!! we had 3 small cabinets) They had a shower in a separate room (!!) from the toilet and sink. They had numerous large windows. They had a double bed! They also had the diesel generator sitting above their room. It ran from 6am – noon and from 4 – 9pm. Yes, that wasn’t great, but it wasn’t running at night. They only spent 2 nights in their room. The first night the diesel fumes were too bad. They complained and complained the next day until our poor guide traded beds with them. They didn’t trade rooms with him however, just beds. His room didn’t have a shower – he showered in the space with the rest of the crew. Unacceptable. Besides, it would have been too much work to pack up their belongings and move them to the other room. Because of this they would have the crew of the boat WAKE HIM UP so they could get their things in the morning. I guess they felt the customer always should get what they want. On the last night, they decided to sleep in their room because they needed to pack to get ready to leave the boat the next morning. That night we had the roughest open water crossing of the trip. My husband was still on deck around midnight that night and what he saw appalled him. The guide’s cabin was midship so it had less roll. The husband came out, complained of feeling sea sick and woke up the guide, kicking him out of the cabin so he and his wife could sleep there. Horrible. Absolutely horrible. What were these people thinking? Why was their sleep and experience so much more important than that of the person who guided us all week? I guess they had to take care of themselves.

The really sad part is that during the week the wife kept talking about how she was able to easily adapt to tough circumstances. HA! She didn’t adapt, she whined until someone got sick of listening to her and made their experience worse to end the complaining. During the week we kept pointing out that she was not adapting, and finally the last night I really let loose with both barrels. I still don’t think that she had a clue.

Exhibit this kind behavior at work and you will make a lot of enemies. The benefit of the team is more important than the benefit of you as an individual. You need to be able to positively adapt to difficult and extenuating circumstances without a lot of drama. If you believe this simple thing and live it, you will always have supporters in your camp.

Now I ask you this:

When new processes or other changes are rolled out at work what do you do? Do you pick them right up and make sure that they get implemented as quickly and efficiently as possible? Or do you roll your eyes and commiserate with your pals about how management just doesn’t get it and that this is another initiative that is bound to fail?

What do you do when you are given the opportunity for a skill stretching assignment? Do you jump right in and learn as much as you can? Or do you avoid the work – sticking to what you know best and remaining in your comfort zone?

Only the adaptable will survive. Make sure you are one of them.

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Getting People to be Responsible

Posted on December 2, 2008 | Leave a comment

Sometimes you find that one of your employees just doesn’t want to be responsible.  By this I mean a repeated inability to drive projects forward, through to completion. It’s a terrible feeling when someone comes into your office near a project deadline and says – “We’re not going to make it.”  Or,  “I’m not worried about the schedule. Nobody ever meets their schedule”. These kinds of pronouncement are just another way of giving up. At this point you can take over and drive it yourself.  However, you can’t be personally responsible for everything, you’ll just drive yourself crazy.  You need to be able to delegate something to your staff and know that it will get done.

The question is – how do you get someone to take on additional responsibility and reliably finish things?  Well, first of all there has to be a desire on their part to do this. If you have someone on your team who likes to experiment, come up with some cool new ideas and then turn over the job of finishing it to someone else – you have the wrong person.  If that person is good at coming up with ideas that are useful for the business, you need to nurture that. If they are someone that just wants to play and what they are interested in isn’t business relevant it is time to have a long conversation about their place in the organization. They might be a great person to have: in another company or another department where they can follow their passion. Having the expectation they will be a finisher will only end in disappointment for both of you.

If the person you are dealing with genuinely wants to drive projects to completion but hasn’t be successful you need to determine why.  They might not have the tools to do it successfully. They might need to improve on their attention to detail. They might need some help in project management and estimation. They might need to learn how to identify when a situation is spiraling out of control and to ask for resources before it becomes a problem. They might just need encouragement or a good old fashioned kick in the pants to get them started.  You also have to be careful and make sure that the reason they aren’t able to finish isn’t because your expectations of what can be accomplished are unreasonable. Take a look at yourself  and your demands first. Second, figure out how best to motivate and coach your employee.  All advice tells employees to modify their style to suit their manager’s in order to get ahead. Here is the time where you need to modify your coaching style to suit how your employee learns best.

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Bad at your job?

Posted on November 19, 2008 | Leave a comment

Moving from an individual contributor position to one where you are leading a team is a very hard transition. One day you’re worrying about what you need to get done… the next thing you know a whole team of people is depending on you. You’re being pulled every which way. Your staff is looking to you for encouragement and direction.  They are looking for you to empower them to do their jobs – to make sure they have the resources they need to be successful. Your manager is looking to you to drive forward the company objectives. If you also have technical responsibilities you also need to keep up your skills. There isn’t enough time in the day to do all of it. You’re feeling like a failure.

Get over it!  Yes, your heard me. GET OVER IT.

First, you need to recognize that you are never going to be able to maintain the technical edge you had before.  Well, maybe you can – but you’ll have to give up your life. I didn’t think you’d want to do that – do you?  Ok.  you need to learn to fake it. Yes I am serious. Learn how to ask the right questions to make people think about what they need to do.

Second, you need to figure out how to be comfortable making decisions quickly with limited information. This is part intuition and part depending on the expertise of the people who report to you.

Third. You’re doing fine. Please remember that it can take a couple of years before you are really comfortable in your new skin as a leader. Don’t expect to feel successful right away. All you need to do is learn from everything that goes wrong, as well as everything that goes right. Be genuine. Don’t try to be someone that you’re not.  You were put into this position because someone believed in you.  Believe in yourself.

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