The word brings up visions – and concerns – for most.  It could be filled with opportunities…. it could be filled with risks.  Is tomorrow really just the day that begins when this one ends, or does it stretch into the future?

Your perspective has a lot to do with how you prepare.  If it is simply the activities of the next day, ending when the day ends, you approach it one way; if it is the next step in a journey, another.

“If you don’t know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?”  Most have heard this old adage.  A journey that has no destination can be considered a success – if the journey itself, and the experiences along the way, are the goals!  On the other hand, a career without direction will seldom reach the desired results.  How are you approaching your career?  Is it about the journey, or is it essential to arrive at a specific destination?

Each of us has to make this personal decision.  There is not a universal answer.

Careers should be built on knowing what is important.  Success is defined as attaining your goals…not the goals others may have for you.  There are always opportunities to reevaluate and modify.  Yet this is meaningless unless you have determined your own priorities.

Is this the appropriate time for you to evaluate your own career journey?

My next several blogs will examine approaches that you can take to make certain you are on your desired journey.  There may be suggestions, questions and even challenges.

However you approach it, tomorrow will come.  What you do to prepare for it will go a long way in determining how you move forward with your career, and in an even broader perspective, your life.  Take this opportunity to understand and make decisions that will significantly impact you and those around you.

An interview is a very special time.  It provides the most important opportunity to learn about the person you are interviewing – and determine how effective they will be as a member of your team.

The decisions you make will impact your organization, and will impact an individual’s career.

It’s much too significant an event to just have a casual conversation; it’s also too important to get by with a list of questions that are quickly asked of the candidate.  After all, the goal is not to just understand if they can do this job – you also want to know if they are motivated to do this job, as well as how effectively you can work together.  If an interview is completed without knowing more than just what knowledge and skills the candidate has, consider it a failure!

Great interviewers develop a technique that fits their personality, have a written list of questions they ask (after some time it may be “written in your mind”) and are determined to really learn about the person they are interviewing.  Effective listening is required.  Open-ended questions are most revealing.  Not only do they provide specific information about the candidate’s knowledge and skills, but they also give insight into how the candidate thinks and acts.

Most of us who do a lot of interviewing develop questions that work for us, based upon our communications preferences.  I have found that an entire interview can be built around only a few questions, then responding to the candidate’s replies.  This only works when you know the specific information you want to obtain, and structure follow-up questions that keep the conversation “on track.”

Quickly creating an atmosphere where the process flows smoothly assures a good interview.   In coaching, this is defined as connecting; setting the stage for open communications.  Every interviewer should develop a question that officially “begins the process” and works for their style.  It should set the tone for the entire interview.  From then on, everything should focus on understanding the candidate, and determining if you want them to be part of your organization.

My “game on” question?  Tell me about yourself…..

A candidate’s responses indicate:

• What’s important (to them)
• How well they organize thoughts and present them
• Their communications skills
• How much preparation they have done for the interview

Their answers lead to the next questions, and begin the journey of understanding how well they “fit” the position.

Listening to the GOP Presidential debates makes one wonder about the importance of honesty.  Can any of us believe that each of the candidates will do all they say?  Hasn’t history proven that in politics most people “say whatever they think people want to hear” in order to gain their votes?  Their statements are based upon “facts,” but facts can be interpreted differently, depending upon your point of view.  My local newspaper, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, now has a “Truth-O-Meter” that they apply to statements made by politicians, as well as other public leaders.  Apparently they evaluate these with independent research they conduct using non-partisan data.  Not surprisingly, a good number of statements rate in the middle between True and False.  And somewhat frequently the result is “Liar, liar, you’re pants are on fire.”

If it is acceptable to “play loose with the truth” in politics, is it acceptable to do so with your employees, or when in an active job search?   NO is the only acceptable answer.  After all, the key to successful employer-employee relationships is trust.  How can there be trust if one only considers what they want and not what is important to the other?

Organizations, like people, change.  Situations that were not anticipated arise, and decisions are made.  Talented people who are making a contribution suddenly do not have a job.  While unfortunate, it seems to be a fact of organizational life today.  We learn a lot about both people and organizations by how they handle this difficult situation.

Organizations that truly care about their employees will support those whose jobs are abolished by providing some type of career services which include outplacement.  It is smart business to do so.  Eventually the organization will be hiring again, and its reputation will be important in attracting those individuals important for its success.   The departing employee will be much better served if the organization cares enough to select an outplace provider who has the ability to really “connect” and help them continue their career journey, not just check the box to say “we offered outplacement.”  (Note – we do not offer outplacement, but can recommend some who are terrific at this!)

If you have been terminated, how should you respond to questions about your departure when you are being interviewed for another position?  Some may “say whatever they think is most expedient!”  Perhaps the company who is interviewing you will never learn the details.  Trust really comes into play here!  Determine how you will address this as you are preparing for the interview.  My suggestion – be truthful.  Have a well thought-out response that makes it as positive as possible.  Don’t break someone’s trust in you.  Dishonesty will eventually be discovered.