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