Job Interviews

To my mind, I have no doubt that in the history of mankind a candidate has ever walked out of a job interview and thought to him or herself, "That was fun," and actually meant it. Maybe it happened one hundred years ago. Maybe it happened yesterday. I do not know. What I do know is I have yet to meet such a person. The closest I have come to that is hearing someone indicate they felt the interview went well or that it was interesting or that the time really flew by. But fun? Not yet any way. Certainly the traditional job interview process is not designed to show the candidate a good time. It is stressful, a bit intimidating and, in many ways, unrelenting. The candidate sits down in front one person or a committee who may be smiling but are thinking thoughts that range from "Show me" to "What can this person do for us?" to "I hope this doesn't take long cause I have a lot of work piling up on my desk" to "I hope this isn't a waste of time." Without question, interviewers are a tough crowd.

The reality is job interviews are challenging situations for any and all candidates. There simply is no getting around that. Candidates need to be prepared, have a good idea what it is they want to say about themselves, be well versed on the job and company to whom they are applying, and take these interactions very seriously even if they happen to know people who are doing the interviewing. From a communication standpoint, one piece of advice I give people who are preparing for upcoming interviews is to always keep in mind one truism: interviews are a lot more about the people doing the interviewing then they are about the candidate. I understand this may seem at odds with conventional wisdom, particularly since the candidate is there to promote him or herself and do most of the talking. But think about it. The prospective boss wants to know what you can do for them. How can you make their professional life easier? How can you help their company produce a record number of widgets next year? What skills do you have to help make their company regain its mojo?

The candidate must know their audience. By this I mean answers or responses to all questions or comments from the interviewers must be framed in a way that speaks to their needs and wishes. For example: Question: "Tell us about your background, candidate X." Response: "Since graduating from college I have gained experience and developed skill sets that speak directly to the responsibilities of this position and to the mission of the company." Here's another: "Why are you interested in this position?" Response: "Your company is seeking an employee who is creative and who works well with others. My background melds perfectly with what you are seeking." All responses should be framed in a way that first speak to the needs of the company and then to the strengths of the candidate. Doing this consistently still may not make a job interview fun, but it will certainly increase the odds of making it successful.

Special Ingredients

Recently I attended a concert that was a celebration of the songs of Frank Sinatra. The singer had a pleasant voice. The song selection was good and the band behind him was strong. Watching the performance, I recalled a story I once read about Sinatra that happened many years ago. He had left the Tommy Dorsey orchestra and been on his own for several years. In an interview, Dorsey was asked about the singer he hired to replace Sinatra - Dick Haynes. "I don't understand it," Dorsey said. "He's (Haynes) doing the same songs with the same arrangements but somehow it's different." Indeed. This is not meant as a criticism of Haynes or of the singer I saw the other night. They were and are fine. But they were and are no Sinatra.

As much as anything when it came to doing what he did best, Sinatra's greatest strength was his ability to communicate. As a communicator of lyrics - upbeat or sad - he was credible. He was believable. Lots of singers, past and present, have and have had great voices. Lots of singers, past and present, perform and have performed great songs. But one would be hard pressed to name any as consistently credible as Sinatra when it came to communicating the essence of a particular song. It was his great gift and our great treasure. In the world of communication, Sinatra's talent represented the ultimate goal of any one's attempt to connect with others.

It is tempting and perhaps a bit accurate to characterize Sinatra's gift as pure and simple magic. But the fact is throughout his 60 year-long career Sinatra worked extremely hard at his craft and at maintaining his level of excellence. Even with the magic that was him, he would not have been nearly as successful as he was without also having a very strong work ethic. Communicators everywhere can and should take note of this. Being consistently credible, personable, engaging and inclusive in how one communicates takes practice, practice and more practice. It also requires a commitment to expanding one's base of knowledge. Those are the so-called special ingredients that go into successful communication. The career of Ol' Blue Eyes serves as a perfect example.

A Tale of Two Universities

How many us hear or see the fantastic amounts of money one can win in some of those multi-state lotteries such as Powerball or Mega-Millions and fantasize - at least for a few moments - of how great it would be to have the winning ticket and take home all that money? How could we not? I bet most people even play out in their heads what they would do with the money if they were to win. Of course, going from a life of living from paycheck to paycheck to suddenly no longer having a financial care in the world would be a positive turn in anyone's life. But as good as becoming financially-independent might be, it would still carry with it its share of stress and challenge. In other words, even good things can be stressful. Good things, not just bad, can be viewed as a crisis.

This observation is the focus of what I hope to turn into an interesting dissertation. By way of illustration, I am going to conduct an extensive analysis of what were arguably two of the most widely covered incidents in American higher education in the past decade: George Mason University's amazing 2006 run to the NCAA Final Four and, one year later, the terrible tragedy at Virginia Tech. The two occurrences brought unprecedented attention to each institution. One was a time of great celebration and triumph while the other was gut-wrenching and tragic. Both, coincidentally, happened in Virginia. Both provided each institution with unique communication challenges in terms of striving to manage events and messages.

As I am at the very beginning of researching this topic, it is far too early to speculate on how well each institution, from a communication standpoint, performed under such broad and intense public scrutiny and overwhelming pressure. But my sense is it is going to be interesting to find out. I am also guessing George Mason and Virginia Tech faced many of the same communication challenges despite the fact one was contending with something very positive and the other with something very negative. Did each institution have a communication plan? How well did they stick to their plans? How similar were the publics and stakeholders with which each institution contended? What were the specific communication strategies of each institution? These are just a few questions I wish to explore. A tale of two universities. Opposite ends of the coin, yet similar challenges.

Building a Barn

The last months of Ernest Hemingway's life were not fun. This iconic writer was suffering from unrelenting physical and mental deterioration that contributed to equally damaging bouts of paranoia. He became suicidal. After several unsuccessful attempts, Hemingway finally succeeded in killing himself in June, 1961. Hemingway's death happened despite efforts by those closest to him at the time to prevent him from doing harm to himself. I mention the demise of this literary giant because it parallels much of the stagnation that has befallen the U.S. Congress. Let me explain.

Hemingway had made up his mind that he was going to end his life. Those around him were aware of his state of mind and sought to prevent this from happening. Despite their best intentions, Hemingway did himself the ultimate harm. One lesson I draw from this is if a person is determined to do damage, then they will succeed. Former President Lyndon Johnson put it more succinctly: "Any jackass can kick over a barn........." The problem with Congress that we as citizens are witnessing these days is that there are too many jackasses intent on doing harm than ones dedicated to being constructive. As it was with Hemingway, they are determined to stop meaningful work from moving forward on a range of issues that are vital to the strength of our country and our world.

Their determination is nullifying any efforts from builders to communicate with them. The result is little if anything of substance is getting done and, in the end, we are all losing. Communication, no matter how well intentioned, thought-out or executed, is not always successful, particularly if those on the receiving end do not wish to hear. Communication is a two-way endeavor. The state of affairs with our US Congress these days is that only one-way communication is being conducted. By definition, that means there is only talking-at going on but not any talking-with. So, the logical question becomes: what can be done about? A new strategy that has not yet been tried - though it has been talked about - is for those in the majority to begin doing what they feel is necessary to address the issues of our day. My sense is those not wishing to listen will change their own non-communication strategy and begin wanting to be part of the barn building.

"Have a good one."

I have a pet peeve. Actually I have several. But at the moment there is one that currently rests at the top of my list: "Have a good one." More often than not, this annoying phrase is said to me by a cashier at a check-out counter such as at a grocery or department store. Always, I want to stop, turn around and say, "Have a good what?" I want the person to be specific. Do you want me to have a good walk to my car? A good life? A good rest of the day? A good time flossing the next time I brush my teeth? Be specific. Of course, what I want to do and what I actually do are two different things. Usually, I nod and move on. But in those particular times of weakness, I might even respond by saying, "You, too." At that point, I become annoyed at myself for aiding and abetting the perpetuation of this empty phrase that is so vague as to be totally meaningless. At least that's how I see it.

I do not see myself as being a particular anal person, though I acknowledge that admitting my annoyance at "Have a good one" might make me sound like one. But I promise I am not. At least I do not think so. Nevertheless, where did "Have a good one" come from? How did "Have a good day," for example, ultimately turn into "Have a good one"? Who can I blame for that? Who can I hold accountable? My fear is the answer to that is everyone but no one. It may be just one more example of how our language has evolved. In this case, it has gone from precision to vagueness. Maybe most people are ok with that, but not me. I understand we can not all be definitive all the time. Sometimes situations call for foggy-type responses or statements. But why add to that when it is not necessary? I want to see people be more specific in their communiques; say what they mean. Don't be so non-committal. "Have a good day, damnit!" Now that is what I call a definitive statement.

Communication is all about connecting with others. How we make use of our language and the words that comprise defines not only us but the ties we seek to bind. For a linkage to be solid and lasting, it must be built with nails in solid wood, not spit and chewing gum. The former has a much better chance at enduring separation or hardship than the other. Think of it this way: if a person told us to "have a bad one," then wouldn't we immediately want to know "bad what?" My guess is most of us would want to know what that other person was talking about. I do not see why it should be any different with being told to "have a good one." When it comes to defending effective communication, that is as good a place in which to draw a line in the sand as any.

Snow Days

Growing up, there seemed to be few things that were more exciting for my friends and I than having a snow day. Snow would fall, school would be closed, and a day of building snow forts, making snow angels, throwing snow balls and drinking tons of hot chocolate would be before us. Was there anything better than that? I think not. Now I am much older and other than enjoying a good cup of hot chocolate, I do not find myself engaging in those other carefree activities any more. Instead, snow falls, school is closed, and I have the challenge of doing tons of shoveling, scraping off windows, clearing drive ways and sidewalks, warming up cars, and driving over ice patches.

As I write this our area here in Virginia has been hit with two major snow storms in the past week. My university has been closed and my only two significant ventures outdoors have been runs to local grocery stores. And not once have I noticed any kids outdoors playing in the snow and being silly. Not one snow man. Not one snow fort. No sledding down any hills, big or small. Maybe playing in the snow is like communication in that is has evolved though not necessarily in a positive way. If that's true, then it's too bad. Having fun on snow days is different than it used to be. The same goes for communicating with others. People do not seem to be talking over fences to neighbors nearly as much as they used. Instead, they text and email and twitter each other.

I confess my attitude toward snow days is not what it used to be. It used to be the mere thought of it made me very happy. Nowadays, I find myself hoping it does not happen. At one time they used to be fun. Now, they means work. Does this run parallel with communication? I'm not so sure but I do not think so. Hopefully it won't ever be the case. After all, I can live without snow days but can not live without communicating with others, nor would I want to. Still, my attitude toward both has and is changing. I, for one, need to keep doing what I can to keep my attitude on the positive side of the tracks. After all, emaile and other forms of social communication can be fun.

Communication Bullies

I used to think one of the benefits of becoming a grown-up is that it meant never having to deal with a bully again. Perhaps it was in elementary or middle school when one or some of the bigger kids in class used their size to intimidate the smaller ones. Or maybe we were older when the tough guys in the neighborhood used their own special powers of persuasion to make us nervous and do what we had to do to avoid them. Either way, becoming a so-called adult meant putting those days behind us and moving into an environment where everyone treated everyone else with respect. Right? Wrong. Sadly, even in the world of grown-ups tactics of intimidation and people with power throwing their organizational weight around at the expense of those in weaker positions goes on.

Bullying is wrong in any environment and at any age. Granted, in the business world you may not see workers having their lunch money snatched away or actually being beaten up, but what does occur from time to time is just as ugly and hurtful: organizational superiors treating workers with disrespect, talking over them, belittling them and making them feel of no importance or no consequence. These so-called superiors do not use their fists. Instead, they use words, body language, and insensitive and even dishonest behavior. Even conjuring up these images is maddening. Watching it even more so.

Lincoln's observation about the best way to get a real sense of someone is by giving them power and seeing what they do with it holds as true today as it did over 150 years ago when he first made it. Whenever we communicate we project power. We speak and people listen. We act and people observe. For those few moments we are the focus of attention and, thus, have power. Bullies use their power unwisely and with disrespect. As it pertains to communication, for all who claim to dislike that kind of person, there remains only one course of action: honoring the attention upon you and respecting those who are giving it to you.

Evolving Scholarship

Over three months ago I wrote of my current academic pursuit toward a doctorate. In addition to the usual challenges of the classes I was taking at the time, I was beginning to prepare for the comprehensive exams that represent the final hurdle before one is formally allowed to begin working on their dissertation. In the communication program in which I am currently enrolled, the comps are divided into two parts: written and oral. I took the written part just prior to Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, my answers to some of the questions were not deemed to be strong enough, so before moving onto the oral part, I was instructed to redo some of my answers.

I completed those re-dos in mid-January. The committee of scholars who were assessing me gave my responses a passing mark though even here they considered what I had given them to be a bit unclear and weak. Still, I was finally able to move onto the orals which I took just a few days ago. I am glad to report that I passed them and am now finally able to tackle the final hurdle toward earning a PhD: the dissertation. I will talk more about this in future entries but at the moment I want to make a few comments about these comps. For me, they were a major challenge. At times it was very discouraging and even disheartening. There were even one or two moments when I was close to throwing in the towel. One reason I didn't was because of my comps committee. Yes, they were tough and, yes, at times they seemed very demanding. But, in retrospect, these characteristics turned out to be good things. Plus, the committee members were also incredibly supportive, encouraging, fair and patient. As I begin the dissertation phase of this effort, I walk away from this experience thinking how lucky I was to have them as a committee.

As we move forward in life and, hopefully, do what we can to keep improving, there remains plenty of times when it feels like we take one step forward and two steps back. At least, that is the case with me on so many levels and has been for as long as I can remember. Even though it is a cliche, so much of life for all of us - I believe - is to keep plugging away and not give the disappointments and setbacks we experience so much power that they prevent us from pursuing our dreams and seeking to fulfill our ambitions. I have come to learn that self-improvement, whether it is in communication, parenting, marriage, education or any other area, is not easy. But, boy, the feelings that come with even minor successes are wonderful and so worth the effort.