Category: Uncategorized

Interview Questions that Assess Leadership

If you are interviewing for a management level jobs, you will likely be asked specific leadership questions. An employee needs to trust you with the people they rely on to deliver results. Therefore, your answers must prove your trustworthiness.

How Would you Define Teamwork?

An employer asking this question wants to know if you are completely selfish or actually enjoy working in teams. They are trying to ask you if you take instructions well, work well with others and respect your teammates. In your response, be sure to let them know that teamwork is leveraging the different talents of a group of people to effectively get the job done. It also includes taking time out to support members of the team to make sure the project is successful.

How will you Manage Multiple Long Term Projects?

To answer this question, let them know that you keep on top of your long term projects by setting internal timelines and deadlines. That way, if something urgent comes up, I can still meet my benchmarks. Being a manager and leader means knowing how to manage these trade-offs. Expect similar questions about how you manage projects and deadlines.

When do you Expect a Promotion?

This may sound like a strange question but it happens. An interviewer may feel threatened. Make sure you sound supportive. Say something like “I don’t have a definitive answer, but within any position, I expect to be given new and sometimes greater responsibilities as I successfully complete the projects given to me. At some point, my past track record of performance will suggest that I am ready for a promotion.”

How do you Make Decisions?

This is less about you as an individual and more about you being a good employee. Let them know that for any major decisions, you will discuss with your boss and determine if there is protocol or policy you should apply. When making decisions, let them know that you weigh the pros and cons and seek the input of others who will be impacted by the decisions. Then, turn the question on them. Ask them what types of decisions you will be expected to make in this role. This displays your leadership right off the bat.

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How to Improve your Communication Skills

Whether you are talking to one person or a whole group, the following tips will help to make you feel natural, at ease and confident in your communication.

Listen Intently

How can communication be about listening when it’s really about talking? The key thing about communication is that if you are able to listen intently to the other person and hear beyond the words, you’ll have more value to add to the conversation. You’ll be able to say something that is beyond the surface level. Listening intently doesn’t just mean hearing their words, but also how they’re feeling and what they are truly trying to express or not express. Use your intuition and listen for what they are truly saying. They will automatically feel more connected to you and feel more comfortable sharing with you.

Tell Stories

Tell a story that relates to what the other person is talking about. The story obviously must have a point and be in relation to what you are discussing. A good story follows the same pattern as a good movie. There are three important parts: situation, action, and results. The majority of the movie is made up of the situation: getting to know the characters and their challenges. Next comes the action. This is where you see the steps the character is taking to resolve the initial problem or situation. The last part is the conclusion or result: what ended up happening? When you tell your stories using this structure, the other person will feel more engaged and get the point you’re trying to make.

Practice

So many professionals overlook. You must practice ahead of time what you plan to say! If you had an important presentation at work, you would practice ahead of time. It doesn’t hurt to do the same for other situations. You want your stories prepared ahead of time so when you deliver them, they are fluid and come off naturally. Without thinking through your stories, you won’t succeed in your delivery.

Work on your communication skills by practicing in your own time. Make sure you also practice listening intently when others speak. The next time you have to go into a conversation, one on one or to a whole group, you will feel much more confident!

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