Frank Uncovers Excellence in Leadership

© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

A friend of mine who is looking for a new position was invited to do an interview. The company stated that he was the only candidate who really fits their requirements. My friend was willing to do the interview until he found out, that the interview would be done by a former employee. Yes, a former employee!

Whose interest will the former employee have in mind: Hers or the company’s?

Then—the company does not have an employee with the needed technical skills to perform the interview.

How will the new employee be lead? Does she have to explain and justify every single technical decision?

Would it make a difference if the interview would be done by a retired employee?

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candidate  former employee  interview  new employee  new position  technical decision  technical skills
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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

A programmers job description forwarded to me today contained this:

“While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to computers, printers and copiers.”

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copiers  exposure  job description  printers  programmers
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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

While doing some research I came across a website talking about Management by Fist: Apparently some top managers can only deal with different opinions by using their fists. At times police is brought in to mediate.

I’d really like to see more research on this one! Who is willing to share a story?

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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

Ask your friends and enemies where they would rate you on this list compared to other people they know:

Are you		or
attractive		unattractive
brilliant		dim
calculating		emotional
caring		cold
classy		brassy
competent		incompetent
cultured		coarse
driven		passive
easygoing		fussy
enthusiastic		bored
ethical		immoral
experienced		novice
fascinating		boring
fast		slow
helping		needy
giving		selfish
honest		dishonest
intellectual		down-to-earth
kind		cruel
mature		immature
outgoing		shy
patient		impatient
rational		emotional
secure		insecure
smart		unintelligent
smiling		sour
sultry		cold
superficial		deep
tardy		prompt

Feel free to add more to the list

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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

Of course there are a lot more than just the following reasons—but these are the top 7:

• Overestimating the own abilities
• Not open to criticism
• Unable to adopt to the corporate culture
• Not willing to develop and / or change
• Unable to recognize networks inside the corporation
• Not knowing the own goals

Tags:

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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

In an already tough job market more and more companies are asking to pre-screen employees via the phone. It’s already hard enough to always understand a person you can see—why adding more difficulties by taking away the face-to-face factor?

Have you ever done a phone interview? What were your experiences?

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adding difficulties  experiences  face to face factor  phone interview  phone interviews useful  pre-screen employees  tough job market
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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

At least a little bit?

With markets getting more and more global having some understanding of foreign cultures, behavior and customs becomes more and more important. Having lived in abroad comes in handy, but after how many weeks, months, years does that knowledge become obsolete?

Sites like http://www.windowontheworldinc.com/countryprofile/[Update 2/26/2007: The link does not work anymore. Please let me know if you of are aware of a working one. Thank you.] and http://www.culturalsavvy.com are helpful resources to start.

Do you think they prepare you enough?

What resources do you use?

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cultures  customs  foreign cultures  helpful resources  little bit  preared
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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

The German company Siemens will increase the salaries of their board members: “The board members haven’t seen an increase for three years and we didn’t even increase as much as other companies.” One excuse I heard why manager incomes well above the $200 million a year do not really matter is that it is “chicken change” compared to the amount of money the stockholders are receiving…

At the same time employees are asked to go without raises, work more, etc.—all because the company isn’t doing to well in a rather slow economics.

The outcry about the management takers mentality is huge.

Do you think managers are horribly overpaid? Or do they deserve what they get? Or was it just bad timing?

Tags:

amount of money  bad timing  board members  chicken change  deserve what they get  economics  even increase  excuse  german company siemens  horribly  incomes  management takers mentality  managers are horribly overpaid  mentality  outcry  salaries  siemens  stockholders  time employees
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