What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear you speak. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Making a positive impression on the selection panel requires that what they see, hear and feel are in harmony. If they are not, it discredits the messenger. For...
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Younger team members?
I was recently asked: “What can be done in a project interview to minimize the perception that a team member is too young for the job?” I’ll share with you how I have coached younger PM’s in the past that has been successful. One...
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Visual Cohesiveness
Have you ever walked into someone’s house or office that was a mish mash of styles and colors? It has a tendency to make us unsettled and uncomfortable. That is the effect on your interview panel when the team arrives in a variety of...
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Question/Answer Dilemmas
Some questions require clarification. For example, “How would you handle environmental issues on this project?” There are two possible approaches and you will not know which way to go unless you ask a follow up question like, “Are you looking for more information about...
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Demonstrate Character
It can be very powerful to share stories or examples of past projects in your project interview Q & A. Two questions that often come up are: “Tell us about a challenge you faced on a previous project and how you solved it.” “Identify...
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Get Off to Great Start
Set the tone for your selection panel to feel good about you and your team before a word is spoken by making eye contact and smiling as soon as you see them. Go over and shake hands and introduce yourself. This demonstrates enthusiasm and...
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What do I do if I don’t know the answer to a question asked during Q & A?
That depends. If answering the question requires input from a specialist who is not in attendance at the interview: Let the panel know that the specialist will likely have the best answer to that question and you will contact that individual immediately upon leaving...
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Learning to enjoy the process not just the end result…
I was working with a general contractor recently who said, “Don’t take this personally, but I hate practicing, I hate presenting, the only thing I like is the relief I feel when it is over.” His statement may resonate with some of you readers....
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Does speaking order matter in project interviews?
Yes and no. While earning my Master’s Degree in Speech Communication at the University of Texas at Austin, I learned some theories related to persuasion: The Primacy Effect suggests that the information we hear first is more likely to have sticking power. Alternately, the...
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The Golden Circle
A friend of mine recently sent me a video featuring Simon Sinek. According to Wikipedia, Simon is a marketing consultant known for developing “The Golden Circle,” a model based on human decision-making that guides organizations on how to inspire people to buy or support...
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