Recently, during some interview skills training, I cited an example of a really bad interview I once attended as an interviewee many, many years ago in Birmingham, with a senior executive of a (then) very well known international photocopier company.

Sent by a recruitment agency for the job, on arrival I was directed to said executive’s office. I knocked on the door, was called in and entered to find him seated at his desk, head down, looking at paperwork. I stood there, waiting to be invited to take a seat. He eventually looked up and, in an exasperated tone, told me to sit down. I held my hand out and introduced myself and he ignored me.

During the course of the interview, he was quite rude and condescending, but I stayed polite and professional. At one stage, he asked about my age and marital status (I was young and engaged then) and proceeded to make comments that I would get married and go off and have babies. Fuming inside, I politely said that thought he should know that it was illegal and inappropriate to ask such questions. He responded with a shrug and quite obviously did not care.

The interview finished and, as I left, he again didn’t shake my hand, nor did he rise to see me out. At the door, I turned around, thanked him for his time, told him I didn’t think the job was right for me and left.

I immediately found the nearest phone-box (pre-mobile phone days – shows how long ago!) and phoned the agency to give feedback and make a complaint about it. Apparently, I was the latest of several applicants who had been treated by him like that.

Looking back, I should have reported him to his company (and maybe the agency did, but there again they may not have wanted to upset a big-name client organisation).  I certainly would do nowadays.

Parlez-vous français?

Another interview I had, some years later, with the CEO of a government-based organisation, ended up with me having half of my interview being conducted in French. As I was a qualified multi-lingual PA, he had spotted French on my CV.

I coped fine of course, (nowadays, I can probably remember just about to enough order baguettes, croissants and du vin!) but this particular job had absolutely no foreign language requirements, as it was for a regular PA. The CEO spoke some French, however, so thought it would be good to interview me in French (to show off?). I got the job, so obviously passed muster!

Analogies

These are both prime examples of how not to behave in interviews, especially the first one. Thankfully, however, nowadays they provide me with very useful analogies to use as examples in my training courses.

What interview experiences have you had in the past – good or bad? Do you think things have improved over the years?

For information about Recruitment, Interview and Appraisal training, click here.

Photo credits (Pixabay):
Russell Clark
Robin Higgins
Jill Wellington

I have to confess, I’m not a great sports fan. I did however get caught up in the Euro 2020 excitement, and felt incredibly proud of the England team, even discussing it with friends! When I said I couldn’t believe I was actually talking about football, one replied “You are discussing football like a management consultant!”, as I was praising Gareth Southgate’s leadership skills.

It really struck me how good a manager he was and how other leaders could learn from him.  Here are five ways in which I think he shines;  skills which any manager can use:

1. Communication:

Southgate communicates openly and respectfully with everyone. On first becoming Manager, he spoke to each member of staff to find out what they needed to do their best in their job. He encourages players to speak to him about anything; building rapport, trust and respect. He makes decisions and informs all involved about his thinking, so there’s no doubt. Involved in decision-making, they feel valued, respected and listened to. “If he has ever got a thought, he always speaks to players about their opinion and what they think of it,” said Declan Rice. When players aren’t played, they know why. When they are taken off, they know why, and respect his decisions.

2. Hiring well:

He has a strong support team, good at their jobs, who fit well together; so important when recruiting. It’s easy to teach skills but harder to change personality/attitude. Hiring the right fit, then trusting them to do the job to the best of their ability is key.

3. Keeping calm:

Known for being calm, he’s created an environment which encourages players to be calmer, feel comfortable expressing themselves, and far more positive in their whole approach. Encouraged to socialise/connect with each other away from games, the bond is stronger between players.

4. Humility:

Arrogance gets leaders nowhere. Southgate shows humility; encouraging openness, trust, recognition, admitting when he’s wrong, learning from mistakes, encouraging others to shine. He’s brave and bold, standing by controversial decisions in staff and player selections, and in matches. “He knows his strengths and recognises the area he can improve on and also tries to find people who work around him to try and fill those slots” Steve Holland, England coach.

5. Kindness and empathy

Irrespective of his career’s heady heights, he’s kind and humble. From writing personal messages to every staff member after the 2018 World Cup, to comforting and reassuring players who haven’t performed to plan. Having been there himself, he can relate to the pain. “That’s based on his style of support, of empathy, of kindness and understanding. He’s highly competitive and can be quite ruthless, but that doesn’t stop you being decent at the same time; he’s giving a modern lesson in decency at the moment.” Sports Psychologist Michael Caulfield.

Football aside, there’s a lot regular managers can learn from Southgate’s management style. These are just a few areas, have a think about whether you have any others to add.

Trust your team

Without trust, the team cannot function, fear increases, motivation decreases and the environment becomes toxic. To build trust, you need to talk to your team about it. Find out what their fears are (which may even be you!) and assure them you will make steps to address them. They may even be too fearful to tell you but you may still pick this up somehow, so it will need addressing. If they won’t talk to you or colleagues, think about bringing in an external coach to work through their thoughts with them.

Handling of mistakes

Assess how you address any mistakes they make. If you blame or embarrass them, they will not admit to any in future and they will not learn from them. You are just going to push them away and lose good employees. Support them if they make a mistake. Look at why it has happened and use it as a learning opportunity. Also, admit when you are wrong or have made a mistake. You will gain far more respect from your team if you do so and it will show a more human side of you.

Celebrate successes

Make them feel proud of their achievements and motivated to continue working well. Make them feel valued as human beings, not just commodities. Praise them, verbally, by email, give them a handwritten note, reward them. However you do it, celebrate them!

MBWA – Management By Walking About

Be seen. Mingle with the members of your team but absolutely not in an overbearing way that makes them feel like you are checking up on them. Make it a sociable, kind and supportive environment for them to work in.

Communicate

TALK with them, ask how they are doing, be interested in their lives, ask what they are thinking, if they have any recommendations about what they would like to see in the workplace, etc. Then LISTEN to them. If action is required and is appropriate, then ACT. If you delegate work to them, explain why the work is important, how it fits into the greater scheme of things and why they are the best person for the job. Keep them informed about the organisation’s plans, priorities, challenges, future opportunities and they will feel more part of the company.

By doing all of these, you should see your team members’ trust increase, their morale improve, as will retention, the general working environment, and productivity.

Inspire Training offers coaching for managers, as well as training in leadership, management and team building.

Its flagship training and coaching programme Confident New Manager Programme, combines training and coaching in a unique and specialised format to help managers gain a grounding in the essential skills needed.

Image by John Hain from Pixabay 

Does being a newly appointed Manager excite but worry you?
Then this Confident New Manager Programme is the key you need to succeed and thrive:

Are you worried about the transition to managing other people?
Do you feel excited, yet terrified in your new role, daunted by tasks and responsibilities you have never had before?
Do you feel out of depth, lacking in confidence, and fear being seen to be a failure in your new role (maybe even suffering from Imposter Syndrome)?
Are you concerned about juggling all your tasks on top of monitoring the work of your team?
Are you worried about not knowing how best to manage the members of your team?
Do you sometimes feel there is no one at work to turn to with your worries?
Would you find it useful to have someone on hand, external to the organisation, to discuss your concerns, issues and ideas?

If you have said yes to any of the above, then here is the programme for you:

This is an instructor-led, online, group training and one-to-one coaching programme, designed specifically to help new managers lead their teams more confidently, effectively and productively. It will give you the support, tools and techniques to help you to feel more confident (and less stressed) about your role; to interact better with your team, peers, and those senior to you; to manage your team more effectively, build trust and get them to work more productively and cohesively to achieve goals.

Instructor Bio:

My name is Janet Baker and, many years ago, I was like you, a newly appointed manager. Having previously been a very successful team leader, I thought the transition would be straightforward. However, reality was very different.

The support I had been promised was not forthcoming, the team was divided, some were resentful. I felt totally out of my depth, suffered from imposter syndrome and longed for my old job. I was so stressed! Over time, I ploughed my way through the problems, gained experience amid much heartache and hard work, and met challenges face on.

Fast forward in time, I have now been a successful Training Consultant and Coach for the last 25 years, putting that knowledge and experience to good use. I have worked with people in management of all levels in a wide variety of organisations, training and coaching them to help them become more effective in their roles.

Don’t struggle through like I did. Let me pass this knowledge and experience on to you to fast track your way to being a more confident manager by giving you the tools and support you need in your new role.

What can this programme do for you and your team?

There are six training modules, plus a series of coaching sessions:

Step 1: Validation

Why you? Understanding your new role as a manager, what is expected of you and when, and feeling more confident about being in that post

Step 2: Organisation

Recruitment of and interviewing staff, ensuring you have the “best fit” personnel in your team

Step 3: Communication:

Dealing with your team in meetings and one-to-one; online and face-to-face. Communicating in an open, friendly, and professional way, to ensure your time and their time is used most effectively, ensuring tasks are completed successfully, questions asked and answered freely and clearly. Also communicating well with other departments, peers, and senior management

Step 4: Tasks and Delegation

Managing your workload and that of your team, to ensure work is completed to standard in a timely manner

Step 5: Motivation

Working with your team to make the best use of their skills, expertise, and knowledge, getting them on board, helping improve collaboration, communication, creativity, productivity and trust and managing their performance

Step 6: Transformation

Taking it forward for the future, growing as an individual and with your team

Step 7: Coaching

Four one-hour, one-to-one coaching sessions, when you will have some private time to focus on your own specific issues

Additionally, you will have email support, to get your questions answered, and a programme Facebook group to connect with like-minded members.

When does it start?

The next programme will run for six concurrent Thursdays, commencing on 30 September 2021 at 09:30hrs (UK BST), each module lasting about two hours. On completion of the training programme, you will then be invited to book four one-hour, one-to-one coaching sessions with me.

Alternatively, a second Programme will be run on Thursdays, commencing on 30 September 2021, at 18:30hrs UK BST (13:30hrs EST).

What is the cost?

The investment in this programme is £597 per person. Only ten people will be accepted onto it, so sign up today to be part of this exciting programme!

Application deadline:

The deadline to sign up is midnight on Monday 27 September 2021.

To Enrol:

Contact me at janet@inspiretrainingmidlands.co.uk, fill in a booking form or phone me on 07944225290 to secure your place on this unique programme.

Drop me an email at janet@inspiretrainingmidlands.co.uk and I will be happy to help.

Click here for the booking form:  New Manager Programme Booking Form

Photo credits:  

Sanu A S from Pixabay

Katy Allison from Pixabay

Angelo Esslinger from Pixabay