Questions That Get Results - Paul Cherry and Patrick Connor

Good stuff..

(after describing a nice job posting) "self-starter who can work independently to meet goals."

Like the ads of these managers, your ad would also have included experience requirements, a certain level of education and keywords such as "team player", flexible, innovative, hard-working and self-starter. These keywords are problematic, however, because they are impossible to quantify. If you cannot measure such qualities, how can you expect to determine accurately if someone will make a good employee? 

Measurable vs non-measurable qualities. 

Would you call yourself an innovative person?

How do you think outside the box?

In what ways are you creative in your current job?

How are you motivated at work?

Would others consider you to be self-motivated?

How flexible are you in your work-schedule?

Are you willing to work on the weekends?

Would you say you are good at multi-tasking?

How well do you work on teams?

Do you get along well with others at your current job?

What do you like about being on a team?

Do you take initiative at work?

Are you able to work independently?

What's your take on these questions? Many managers would admit that they ask these and the qualities they describe are important. The problem with them, however, is that they all focus on characteristics that are non-measurable. 

"Tell me how motivated you are to get things done."

Employee pitches himself and sounds like a manager's dream come true. What's not to like? She's defined herself as a team-player, self-motivated and flexible. These are the qualities that all of those want ads say they are looking for in a new employee. The problem? These are the kind of qualities that cannot be measured. Face it. Most people interviewing for a job would describe themselves as team-players, motivated and flexible. That is why, as a manager, you have to dig deeper to uncover measurable qualifications of potential employees. With that in mind, consider the answers :

Are you motivated? Sure, I'm the first in and last out - usually. Impresses many employers. They would assume Sheena puts in all that work because she is dedicated and determined. That may be true. But also not. Maybe Sheena has a tough time with the technical aspects of her job - and therefore has to spend more time than her co-workers to finish a project. Or is he highly social - so spends more time chatting up colleagues during the day than getting work done. Or does he have a tumult at home and so spends more time at work to avoid his wife (what tells can you look for for such stuff? Ans - courtesy of David Lieberman - you get a friendly conversation going and then you allude to the subject. "On a previous job, one co-worker was spending a lot of time at home because his wife and he didn't get along." - and look for micro-expressions and a change of attitude. BTW, Chris Hadnagy, the social engineer, says that people remember the beginning and the end of the conversation, so you should always sandwich the key questions so that you start and end on a good note). Uncovering the REAL reasons are what will help you decide if you're hiring a stellar employee. 

What are some measurables? Depends on the role obviously - for sales, there are numbers - cold calls, new contracts, etc. But, an excellent one - has the employee been promoted in the previous job? Promoted twice? With a booming economy, some of these might be suspect, IMO. 

You told me that you're the first one in and the last one out. How much grant money did you earn in the last year and how does that compare with others on the team? (answer) (now focus on efficiency. What was the conversion rate?) How did you come up with the idea for that grant proposal? (it was actually a proposal that my colleague had written several years ago. It was up for renewal). Any other ideas you're working on? (not really, this $2m grant proposal takes up most of my time). Really? Which part of it takes up the most time?

You get the idea - don't just take what they say at face value. Everything has components. To get at the truth, you can just pick and probe. If they're above board, they have nothing to hide.

Asking questions about non-measurables is not the only mistake that managers make when it comes to interviewing. Many also believe that they can trust their instincts about people (Robin Dreek chops this one down too) - that they can rely on their "gut" rather than finding out more substantial reasons on which to base their hiring decisions. 

Malheureusement, going with your gut often leads to a dead end when it comes to hiring. 

Whether we mean to or not, we tend to hire people who are like us

So? Know where you are weak and complement accordingly. If you were a soccer team captain, you wouldn't want a team of mid-fielders would you?

Instinctual hiring tends to focus on personality! Watch out!

John interviewed Tony who had recently been laid off. John immediately liked T who said all the right things. T looked J in the eyes and said, "My job is to make you look good." When J asked T a few perfunctory questions about his employment past, T volunteered that he had been laid off from his previous job because his ex-wife's brother had become his supervisor and it was too uncomfortable for everyone involved. Being divorced himself, John felt a certain kinship with Tony. So, even though Tony did not have the right experience as a manager, John felt he had the right disposition for it. A few months after T started, Paul asked J how things were going. He gave Paul an exhausted look before answering. "The only reason Tony's still around is that I don't have the energy to look for a replacement." Over time, J had to acknowledge that Tony just did not have the skills crucial to performing the job. Tony's employees saw him as their friend, not boss. 

A Different Way to Interview

There are four categories to focus on and each gives you insight into whether or not the candidate will be successful in the position.

1. Credentials - education, licenses. 
2. Experience - sizes of budgets managed, etc. 
3. Opinion - beliefs and attitudes. Greatest strength, weakness. Like most, least. What if? 
4. Behavior - target past behaviors - results, accomplishments, outcomes (yuck - this guy loves tautology). Isolate difference between aptitude and effort. Remember, you don't pay for effort - you pay for results. Dr. Phil - past behavior predicts future performance. What you sow is what you reap. SPAR : Situation, Problem, Action, Result. Give an example of the core task of the job. Problem - Present a challenge to overcome - you have to tell the customer No. How did you solve the problem? What was the result? 

Think of a time when you lost a sales opp. Why did customer decide not to buy? How did you respond? What was the ultimate result? What did you think you could have done differently?

Observe closely and you notice certain employees seem more focused and driven than others. To see these differences more clearly, it helps to think of our employees as occupying a three tier system

• Excellers - even in tough situations - go above and beyond the call of duty. They don't use the excuses that others do.
• The good enough - who deliver to expectations - don't rock the boat. Come in on time, get the work done. Don't take on leadership roles. Have the potential to do more, but decide not do. We want to stretch them and create goals for themselves. Malheureusement, many managers fail to do this because of time needed to convert from average to a star. 
• The time drainers - struggle with competence and experience - need guidance, discipline, supervision. 

Loyal, dependable, hard-working - typically applied to the middle tier. They push back on stretch goals. You have growth in mind for them, but they're content. Asking the right questions can help you transition employees out of the middle tier. They have good excuses - in the case of a sales pro - tough market conditions and family commitments. These are legit, which we accept at face value. Keep in mind that top-tier employees don't use these excuses. Uncover their goals or help them create them. 

Give them the following assignment a week before their PR : 

Think about your future and what you really want to achieve in your life. Then, in each of the following eight areas, write out your immediate and long-term goals. Ensure they are SMART goals. Arrange the goals in order of importance to you so we can discuss them.

1. Career
2. Family
3. Finance
4. Health
5. Personal Growth
6. Recreation
7. Social, Community
8. Spiritual

These could be controversial. They are intended to spark thought. It's okay if the employees don't want to discuss. You just want to get their most important goals. "Nothing you say in this meeting will be held against you. It's okay to list career as less important. We only want to get information that will help us, together, set professional goals for you." 

Which area is #1? Why so important? Long term career goals? Immediate? Long-term financial goals, are they in sync with career goals? Are there goal conflict? What do you see as some of the barriers (aha - here, Susan Grant Halvorson might want to chip in - she says it's easy to come up with one or two obstacles but hard to list more. The more you list, the more serious you are, because, let's face it, most of us never accomplish any of those grandiose goals, do we?)  Describe the effort it will take to achieve these goals. How does that compare with current objectives? In what ways are you currently on track to achieve your goals? Do you have all the resources you need? What must happen at this time for you to reach your financial goals? What's your action plan for your career goals? How do you plan to achieve the goals that you've set for yourself? (Don't expect an immediate answer to this one).

Action plan : ultimate goal - resources, process by which it will be carried out. 

Then, ask for an implementation plan. They will expect assistance or resources from you/company.

Next assignment : 

Imagine it's five years in the future and your wildly successful. All the things you hoped for have come true. Write a letter of appreciation to all the people who helped make your dreams come true. Thank all those who contributed to your success and give examples of the assistance they gave you, whether it was a grand gesture or a small act of kindness. 

Once they have completed the letter of appreciation, ask them three questions :

1. Who did you thank?
2. What help did each of them give you?
3. What were you able to achieve as a result of their help?

Helps your e's understand a deeper level what they want in their future. It helps you determine what type of assistance and resources they will need to achieve those goals. 

How would you resolve this impasse?

A sales guy who does not report to you directly has "fulfilled" a (long-time) customer order for a weighing scale without the required printer without which the scale is essentially useless to the customer who is furious. You believe the cost of the printer should come out of the salesperson's commission. You can't enforce that though because salesy doesn't work for you.

Give me 24 hours you say to the customer who agrees reluctantly. 

Use the "Managing Across" technique of questioning to uncover salesy's motivations and make everyone happy. 

Salesy, I really need to talk to you about this situation.

That guy is not getting a $500 printer for free.

(you could easily get confrontational here. Don't. Stick to questions)

I understand you are frustrated. How do you think we should handle this?

I think he needs to cut us a check for $500 and then we'll order him a new printer.

He seemed pretty adamant that he wasn't going to give us $500 for the new printer. He's understandably upset that he has a $75k truck scale sitting there doing nothing. What do you think is fair?

Hey, whoever said life is fair? My commissions are getting smaller every year and this economy is not helping. My boss is breathing down my neck and he would just ream me out if he thought I made a mistake with this sale.

I understand. I feel the same pressure you do. What can I do to make this easier?

Maybe you can talk to the customer. He trusts you.

Okay, I can talk to him. But I need to be able to offer him something. He's pretty ticked off right now. I don't think we can expect him to pay full price for the printer at this point. What can we do to make everyone happy?

Well, the wholesale price of the printer is only $250. I guess we could let him have it at that price. That way, the company does not lose money. Of course, I'll have to explain to my boss why I'm essentially giving a printer away. 

Maybe you can tell your boss that you discounted the printer because the guy went with the top-of-the-line scale. Would you be happy with that?

I guess I could live with that. Will you talk to the customer?

I can talk to him. I'll explain to him that we'll give him the printer for half price and that we'll ship it to him overnight. I'll explain that one of my guys will install it for him first thing in the morning.

Ensure everyone walks away feeling like they've been heard.

It's important to point out that each party in this scenario had to give a little.

1. Ask questions to find out where they're coming from. "What do you think is fair?" "How do you see this situation?" "Why do you feel so strongly about..?"
2. Ask questions to align yourself with the other person rather than against him. "What can I do to make this easier?"  This arms you to start thinking as an ally. "What do you need from me?"
3. Enlist the other person in creating a plan. "What can we do to make everyone happy?" "Would you be happy with that?" "How can we resolve this?" "What do you see as a solution to this?"

Here's another case :

Violent criminals are getting their cases dismissed because DNA evidence isn't being delivered to their defense attorneys 45 days prior to trial. The backlog in the state crime labs is massive and a key part of the problem. The press is roasting the prosecutors in the media.

How can you use managing across questioning?

Prosecutor calls the manager of the states DNA labs for a lunch appointment.

Apologizes for prosecutors not notifying crime-lab technicians about timelines. Acknowledges that they are swamped with work. Expresses hope that state will give them more funding. 

Can we come up with a plan to make things work more smoothly?

(supportive answer)

I feel the same way you do. I feel we don't understand your processes. Can you explain how things are prioritized? 

(understaffed, underfunded. brand new machines, but uncalibrated. Hiring freeze)

Didn't realize how bad it was. Not okay for us to call you just a few weeks before trial. Given you're so short-staffed, how long does it take?

You need 60 days to process DNA to ensure it'll be done in time.

(we also need a way to prioritize cases so we know which ones need to be fast-tracked)

Okay, how about.... Will that work?

To review, we'll give you X days notice. 

Lesson : as managers, we do not have control over many of the forces that affect our jobs. 

1. Ask for the other person's help. Acknowledge the problem and your role in it. Can we come up with a plan (bring them to table as a partner)?
2. Identify causes of conflict. Understand how the system works. Can you explain to me how you prioritize? (Can you tell me more about steps involved? How do you go about...? Where is the bottleneck..?)
3. Come up with a solution that works for both. Double points if you get the other person to suggest the idea!

Bosses

Managing upwards - tools for managing your relationship with your boss. There are five categories into which bad bosses generally fall (before I know it, I'm thinking about Matt Rowley and DK😊) These bosses are not necessarily bad people, however. In fact, they are usually wonderful people with the best of intentions. Their management principles and styles are simply lacking in some way and, most likely, they are unaware of how they are perceived by their staff. 

The first step in managing upwards is in deciding which category best describes your boss : 

1. Demanding (extremely high expectations for everyone. Every item on the to-do list is top-priority. Rarely compliments anyone on a job well-done and never thinks anyone else is working hard enough. The demanding boss works long hours and thinks his or her employees needs to do the same. I remember I had forwarded Drucker a quote from Larry Bossidy about the 80 hour work-week actually being a major weakness)
2. Invisible (perceived as aloof, uninterested or too busy. Yikes, DK again. As an employee, you will have a lot of freedom but never know if you are doing a good job because this boss does not provide regular feedback. You cannot expect this boss to be a mentor or coach. And if you are hoping to learn on the job, you will be sadly disappointed. Not approachable and, if you ask for guidance, you might get superficial advice, or none at all. NOTE - you should check out the bit about "the fast reader" in Executive Qualities. The fast reader is one who gets the boss to do the work (choosing the right option) by presenting both and looking for reactions. Truly, what he was supposed to do was come with both the analysis of alternatives AND the decision he had reached!)
3. Weathervane (constantly changes his directions and priorities. Causes a lot of confusion because one week you're told x and the next week, you have to change focus to y. Excel at brainstorming and raising a rallying cry, but they are no good at following through.)
4. Overly critical (not outwardly mean, intentions may even be good, but have a habit of constantly correcting their employees (yikes, Dale and DK fit this bill) and come across as condescending. Rarely, if ever, dole out praise. Instead, employees are beaten down by criticism after criticism. Vince Mooney? "This is what you should be doing." or "This is what you're doing wrong." It's very difficult for employees in such a negative-feedback environment to have a positive attitude. (Larry K eventually devolved into this type, believe it or not. Eventually he got squeezed out).
5. Micromanager (loves doing the jobs of others and cannot relinquish control - Dale and DK again 😊. Such are very restricted as managers because they cannot delegate responsibility and end up taking on too much work. Employees end up feeling undermined and often lack confidence because they are never allowed to complete a task. This boss may jump in to complete someone else's project or redo it entirely after it has been submitted. The more the micromanager takes on, the less capable his employees feel until the manager is forced to do everything)

How to improve your relationship with any of these types is the same - quality two-way communication. Basis is asking great questions. Natural inclination is to communicate as little as possible with a bad boss. Most would shy away from conflict, withdraw emotionally, and simply avoid a causer of grief. Problem? Boss will not change, situation will not improve unless you make the first move - open doors of communication.

Start by talking about things that are going well. Ask for opinion on something benign. Get him to open up on low-key topics. Get the relationship to be genial, instead of adversarial, in time for a more important discussion. Approach with good news, so that the mood of the conversation is positive. 

Wait until there is a break in the action - say between projects - to discuss upcoming quarter over coffee/lunch, etc. Schedule far enough in advance so you have time to prepare your questions. 

Frame the discussion in a positive way so that the boss doesn't get defensive. "I am really excited about the upcoming year. I am looking forward to working on all of the interesting projects we have lined up. I wanted to ask you, which of the projects are the most important to you?" Listen and observe body language very closely. Is she energized about the plans or worried/stressed.

Follow on questions : what's important to your boss needs to become what is most important to you. 

After talking about priorities, focus on the role you want for yourself. Eg. "You mentioned project D as the most important to you. I see my role on the project as A,B,C and here's how I think I should accomplish those tasks and, going forward, is there anything else I should keep in mind?" Basically, clarify priorities and expectations. 

Summarize this plan of action in a written format and send to boss so you have detailed documentation of your discussion and agreement. If your boss is a weathervane or overly critical, you can reference this document if something has changed or if any expectations have not been met. Also ask questions about the future. Eg. "These are the objectives I've set for my team and these are the activities I'm going to undertake. What do you think?" Give your boss time to respond and observe closely, take notes.

Categories of questions 

1. What's important to boss? Critical issues we need to work on in immediate future; next year? My objectives are A,B,C. Which do you feel is most important?
2. Goals/plans for future. This is where I see myself in the next 12 months. What should I do to get there? I have some ideas for x. May I run them by you? Too much time spent on paperwork. How can I delegate. What skills do I need to work on to prepare me to advance to the next level?
3. Boss's goals/measures of success? Where do you see yourself in five years? 

Keep in mind :

1. Start with company's priorities. 
2. Keep questions open-ended - not YES/NO. Remember, you want answers AND explanations.
3. Discreetly, hold your boss accountable. Is your boss promising a promotion that he cannot grant? Better to know now rather than after ten years! You need to gauge reliability - Robin Dreek is helpful here for a list of tells. If boss cannot deliver on promises, you need to re-evaluate the situation. 
4. If you feel you cannot ask these questions, figure out why? Do you lack confidence?

Prior to accepting any position, you should find out as much as you can about your boss. This includes learning about goals, objectives, motivations and personality style as well as what he will expect of you. Questions in this line : 

1. Can you share with me the ideal qualities you are looking for in a candidate for this position?
2. Based on the candidates that you have interviewed so far, which attributes have surfaced as being the most important to you in choosing the right person?
3. What goals do you have for this position in the short term? What about the long term?
4. How do you like to communicate with those who report to you? 
5. Professional plans for the future?
6. Can you walk me through the key areas of responsibility that the person you choose will have to manage?
7. How will you measure success?

About the management team

These are the people you will be working with every day. What personalities will you have to deal with? Have others struggled to work with these in the past? How do they compete for resources?

How are conflicts between team members resolved? How long have they worked together? How are tasks assigned? How are outcomes evaluated? How are team members recognized and rewarded for their performance?

If you are told the team members have all been with the company for 10 years, and that tasks are assigned solely on seniority, think carefully about joining - you might find it hard to gain traction. You might end up getting least desirable tasks dumped on you (this was a problem I ran into with Dale) and never, or not for some time, get the opportunity to grow as a leader. It's also a red flag if all team members were recently replaced and no one is sure of how decisions are made.

As a manager, you are only as good as your employees. 

You do not want to have incompetent employees working for you (the case of Aubrey and Yuan, Amber) especially if you do not have the power to replace them. 

Can you describe, one by one, the employees who would report to me? Strengths and weaknesses? Who will be my go-to guy - can count on to get the job done everytime? Who will be my greatest challenge? Help me better understand the scope of my authority in this situation? Will I be able to replace an individual who is not performing? Budgetary discretion? What did employees like, respect and dislike about my predecessor? What is history of the department - success/failure? Can you provide me job descriptions of those I will manage? What are consequences to those who do not meet objectives? May I meet with my direct reports? 

Ask yourself BEFORE you get an offer :

• What will I be able to do here that I wasn't able to accomplish before?
• Are there ways I can tweak current job role to be happier? More rewarding? Have I explored other opps in my current outfit through conversations with management? No? Why?
• What attributes of a position would truly make me happy?
• What about this opportunity makes me concerned?
• Who on the team will be an ally or reinforce my personal strengths?
• Does future supervisor appear to be a source of guidance and direction?
• What strengths do I possess that will ensure my success in this job?
• What skills must I improve/develop and what knowledge do I need to gain to ensure my success?
• Who on the team might be a threat or cause me grief?
• What information/feedback is conflicting/confusing?
• From a logical perspective, what would motivate me to accept? Salary, location, etc
• Do I really want this? Am I willing to put up with the problems?
• What is opportunity cost of accepting new job? What might I be giving up?
• From a personal pt of view, what would motivate me to accept? prestige, freedom, recognition, security?