| ou know that an ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain? | | | | what was the worst damage you did to your |
| Yep. And they probably have a better eye for | | | | employer's P&L and balance sheet?" |
| management talent than many companies. | | | | According to Mr. Sloma, you immediately learn four |
| All management recruiters are in the business of | | | | critical things about a candidate from his or her |
| trying to help companies get their arms around what | | | | answer: |
| Peter Drucker believed was the final frontier in | | | | 1. The magnitude of the mistake directly identifies |
| competitive advantage: Attracting, hiring and growing | | | | the level that the candidate had in his employer's |
| great people. So much has been written on the | | | | hierarchy. Mr. Sloma always reasoned that candidates |
| subject -- yet so many companies get it wrong, | | | | cannot make big mistakes at low levels. |
| which is why it's still a reliable source of competitive | | | | 2. The magnitude also demonstrates the extent to |
| advantage. | | | | which leadership was exercised. |
| And it's not like I have all of the answers. But I do | | | | 3. Since few people repeat a mistake once made, |
| read old-school management books by guys you | | | | you learn the depth of experience gained by the |
| may have never heard of. Like Richard Sloma -- who | | | | interviewee. |
| wrote "No Nonsense Management" way back in 1977. | | | | 4. Finally, the elaboration in the answer reveals |
| Mr. Sloma had a cult following among management | | | | character traits -- especially the extent to which the |
| students who enjoyed his clear, unvarnished way of | | | | mistake was palmed off as someone else's fault. |
| handling issues. In particular, Mr. Sloma had a knack | | | | All of this makes perfect sense. Executives who get |
| for distilling complex issues down to one or two key | | | | great results often lead great, big projects -- and the |
| points. | | | | bigger the project, the bigger the risk. And sooner or |
| The World's Greatest Interview Question | | | | later, even the most successful executives are bound |
| For example, Mr. Sloma had ONE, single job interview | | | | to taste failure. |
| question that he used for learning almost everything | | | | It's like my dad used to tell me: "Sometimes you |
| you need to know about an interviewee's managerial | | | | gotta go out on a limb because that's where the |
| competence. Are you ready? Here it is ... | | | | best fruit is. |
| "What was the worst mistake you ever made; and | | | | |