All posts by Carlo

Is there anything I can help clarify that would make hiring me an easy decision?

You want an interviewer to know that you can ask a direct question, that you don’t beat around the bush. You want to show that you know how to take feedback. And you really want an opportunity to address any soft spots that an interviewer sees in you as a candidate. Asking this question gets at all 3 of these things. Also, you get to evaluate how your potential new boss handles a head-on question and how she is able to give feedback. Continue reading Is there anything I can help clarify that would make hiring me an easy decision?

 

What accomplishment, project, or work outcome are you most proud of and why?

This will give you a sense of the kind of work this candidate has done, for sure (scope, in what area, with what kind of team). But the real value in asking is to see how much detail you can get out of a person when it comes to the “why”. If she stops at “because I had to be very organized” or “because the team worked well together” then she may not have been the instigator – the person really making things happen. But if she can get very detailed – “Because I recognized the project was more complicated than I was used to so I found and learned how to use Trello” or “because I noticed my colleagues Jim and Jack were not working well together so I put Jim in charge of X and had Jack work with Jill on Y” then that’s when you know you’ve found someone who makes things happen. Continue reading What accomplishment, project, or work outcome are you most proud of and why?

 

What is the most memorable advice you’ve ever received (good or bad)?

This is a fun one. You start talking about interesting life moments when advice usually comes and you learn about the mentors in people’s lives (grandparents, parents, coaches…) as well as the “mentors” (crazy uncles, misguided friends, awful magazine articles…) Continue reading What is the most memorable advice you’ve ever received (good or bad)?

 

In this situation, what am I actually afraid of?

So much of the time, fear keeps us from doing what we really want to do or saying what we really want to say. But fear is most powerful only when it remains undefined. A vague feeling of fear feels massive and immobilizing. But if you pinpoint EXACTLY what you are actually afraid of, just that act alone will make most of the fear go away. But you have to get VERY specific about it. If you think about leaving your unsatisfying job and it fills you with anxiousness, that level of fear left unexamined could be insurmountable. But if you get ULTRA specific, you can start to dismantle it. “I’m afraid I’ll be even less happy in a new work situation. I’m afraid my father-in-law will think I’m directionless. I’m afraid I could make less money than I do now.” From this starting point, now you can manage. If I make a move and I’m less happy, I could probably get back to a job similar to the one I have now. Why do I even care so much about what my in-laws think? Can I have a conversation about this with my spouse? If I made less money, I could easily make up for it by just eating out less. Is my work happiness worth 2 less restaurant meals a week? Continue reading In this situation, what am I actually afraid of?

 

We’re having guests stay with us from out of town. What do you think we should show them?

Asking your teenager for “advice” (no matter how small the issue) can lead to a conversation that will leave you both feeling valued. Your teenager will welcome the role-reversal and you’ll actually get to talk to him. He’ll probably have opinions about what’s fun/impressive to share with guests. Continue reading We’re having guests stay with us from out of town. What do you think we should show them?

 

What’s your full name? And can you remind me if you’re named after anyone else in our family?

I can’t with 100% certainty tell you the full names of my two living grandparents.  That’s no good at all…  But maybe I’m not alone in that.  This is a great question that will take you on a short journey up your family tree. Continue reading What’s your full name? And can you remind me if you’re named after anyone else in our family?

 

If you could restore one broken relationship, which would it be?

When you ask yourself this question, don’t think about how it would happen or what would need to occur for everyone to “be even.”  Just imagine that with a wave of the wand, one broken relationship in your life could be the way it used to be (or even better than it used to be).  Which person in your life do you want that with?

Nurturing the world back to health can ONLY start with nurturing the relationships immediately closest to us in our own lives. Continue reading If you could restore one broken relationship, which would it be?

 

What are the assumptions being made in the success case of our product?

If you’re AirBnB in the earliest days, you are assuming that people will be willing to allow strangers into their homes.  If you’re Uber you are assuming that ride-sharing will be legal in the future.

If you’re Way Better Questions, you’re assuming that people will care enough to rate and review questions the way they review products online.

Get at your core assumptions.  Once you uncover them you are half way to designing a lightweight way to TEST those assumptions. Continue reading What are the assumptions being made in the success case of our product?

 

Think about your favorite work and your creative heroes.  What did they miss?  What didn’t they make?

What could’ve been made better?  If they were still alive, what would they be making today?

Asking these questions will help you push further in an area you already love.  If you’re stuck for a next project idea, why not team up (if only in spirit) with the people who have created the work you respect most? Continue reading Think about your favorite work and your creative heroes.  What did they miss?  What didn’t they make?