A powerful control technique in an executive interview is
effective story-telling; especially when you concentrate on
action-oriented stories that portray several capabilities.
Invariably, incidental situations in the story will
register memorably because of their relevance to the
interviewer's needs and an executive job offer will be
forthcoming.
Brief anecdotes emphasize your values and strengths, and
establish your credentials in areas of employer need or
concern. One of the most impressive ways of presenting
value is to do so in a manner that succinctly describes
problems you were successful in solving by using a "Three
C" format: Circumstance, Conduct, and Conclusion.
Three C General Format for Executive Interviews:
* The Circumstance: What was the opportunity, problem, or
business challenge? State in no more than two sentences.
* The Conduct: What specific actions did you take, or why
did you take action? Three or four actions should be
identified, along with the rationale. Use the personal
pronoun "I" followed by an action word, such as managed,
directed, led, designed, created, formulated, negotiated,
planned, trained, sold, etc. State in no more than two
sentences.
* The Conclusion: What was the positive outcome? Quantify
results and include a time frame. The Conclusion should be
limited to two or three sentences.
An effective Three C story presents a scenario in which the
executive interviewer can identify with the challenges you
faced in considering your circumstances and conduct. Strong
Three C's position your skills to the employers' needs; the
listener will identify with the favorable objectives and
positive results. Invite interviewer questions, especially
when you have excellent back-up data.
The most successful presentations are typically brief; each
should be able to be told in less than 90 seconds. You
guide the conversation in the direction that will best
highlight your value; effectively controlling the entire
executive interview process by offering the interviewer a
choice of Three C stories.
The interviewer at some point will ask a question relevant
to immediate productivity. "If I understand the question
properly, you want to know if I'll be able to hit the
ground running, and the answer is, 'absolutely.' I have a
history of rapidly assessing business problems and
implementing effective solutions. For example, there was a
time when I implemented a multi-billion dollar IT program
overnight and another time I stepped into a new role and
prevented a hostile takeover. Which would you like to hear
about?"
"I was hired in as VP of Information Systems after the
rapid departure of my predecessor and in the middle of a
complete infrastructure rebuild. Each day of delay was
costing the company a quarter of a million dollars, vendors
were late, software was buggy and employees were frazzled.
I segmented the project into two components: hardware and
software, and assigned a manager to each. It took 24 hours
non-stop just to lay out the objectives with the managers
and develop an operational plan; another full day for the
managers to implement the plan with the employees and
vendors. I gave the entire IT department the third day off
and pressured the vendors to have everything in place by
close of business.
Early next morning, every employee showed up re-energized
and motivated after 24 hours off, and by 6 AM the next
morning, the entire network was up and running. The
$250,000 per day hemorrhaging had stopped and the owner
later confided that it saved his company."
A good storyteller is welcomed and remembered in almost any
environment. Many executives, upon successful completion of
their campaigns, cite the Three C technique as the most
effective of all approaches used in converting executive
interviews to executive job offers.
When you leave the organization no second option, your
negotiation position is strengthened. By controlling the
interview with powerful stories, you'll get the offer by
destroying the competition.
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In 1982, Randolph L. Stevens, President and CEO,
incorporated R.L. Stevens & Associates based on a strong
desire to help people succeed and built on an unwavering
commitment to helping executives achieve their career
goals. To find out how we might help your executive search,
contact us ==>
http://www.ExecutiveJobOffers.com
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