How to Answer the Hypothetical Interview Question

How to Answer the Hypothetical Interview QuestionPop quiz, hotshot Its your first day on the job, and everything is going wrong. How do you fix it? googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) If you get this kind of question during a job interview, it can be alarming, to say the least. It feels like the interviewer is giving you a direct challenge, and if you answer incorrectly, you shall not pass. But if you are asked to solve a hypothetical problem, dont panic. Theres a method that will help you get through it. Heres how you can answer the hypothetical interview question.DO take a few seconds to gather yourself.First instincts may get you through in bar trivia nights or emergency situations, but this is neither. You want to make sure youre giving a reasoned, thoughtful response. The person is testing your problem solving skills and your thinking processes, so you want to make sure youre showing those off.DONT blurt out the first thing that comes t o mind.This isnt Jeopardy, and you dont get a naturalrabatt for being the first to buzz in. Again, the interviewer is watching you to landsee how you approach something, not just the end result.DO ask questions if you need to clarify.This can also buy you a little thinking-on-your-feet time.DONT ramble or go off on tangents.This is a nervous habit that can be tough to break, and the best way to get around that tendency is to think about this ahead of time. Sure, its difficult to anticipate beforehand exactly what (if any) hypothetical situations the interviewer could use, so do some general prep.Look closely at the job description. Is it heavy on client service? If so, you might be asked to talk about how to handle a sticky situation with a client or stakeholder. Is the job focused around deadlines? You might have to field a question about what to do about potentially missing one of those deadlines. Its unlikely that the interviewer will ask you something entirely unrelated to the j ob youre seeking, so the description is a good place to start for anticipating such a question.DO think about your own history.The hypothetical question is a cousin to the tell me about a time you question. And thats one you should already have in your pocket ahead of interview day. Have you-specific examples of things like problem solving, communication successes, or challenges youve faced down. If these are at all related to the hypothetical situation posed, you can adapt. If its very similar, you can say, Thats actually like a situation I had at X Corp. Heres what I did in that scenarioDONT feel pressured to give a definitive answer to the problem.Talk about the process of resolving where you would start, who you would loop in, which steps you would take to arrive at a possible solution, and then what you would do to choose the best option. The interviewer isnt asking you to solve the problem and achieve world peace right now, she wants to see how you would approach it.The hypoth etical question can be a sticky point in an interview, but if you know what theyre looking for (process) and how to lay it out (clearly and calmly), youll be past it and back into more familiar territory in no time.

Why Women Make Great Leaders

Why Women Make Great Leaders Ive long believed that women make better leaders than men do, but Im leid sure I ever said it out loud until I welches turing to promote my book People Leadership 30 Strategies to Ensure Your Teams Success, and someone asked me point blank, Do you think women or men make better leaders?My response was immediate Women.It appears this question is making itself known in the universe, because at the iCONIC conference in Los Angeles this June, The Container Store CEO Kip Tindell gave a speech in which he said that he, too, believes that women make better leaders than men do, and gave three reasons why. So the results are in Women really do make better leaders. Why? Here are five reasons.1. Women listenI think women are born with an innate understanding that God gave us two ears and one mouth on purpose. Yeah, yeah, some significant others and offspring might beg to differ but the fact is, women are great listeners. When someone speaks to us about something im portant, were there and you better believe we are going to give our undivided attention. We really want to hear what the other person has to say and be there for them in their time of need an excellent quality in a leader.2. Women collaborateWomen have a genuine passion for working with others. We like to share ideas and come up with solutions that will be effective for everyone involved in the process. That means that as leaders, were good at giving every team member a chance to voice their opinion and be a part of the conversation.3. Women are accessibleAccessibility is not just about being physically available, it is about having an open mind and heart, and psychologists say that women are mora adept at being open, likely because of their motherly instinct and desire to provide for others. This innate compassion means that women are more likely to be supportive of individuals at all levels of their organization, regardless of their rank or title.4. Women focus on personal growt hWomen are readers and learners. We are very open to and interested in finding ways to continuously improve our personal skills. This focus on our development makes us more self-aware, which enables us to have a very strong emotional intelligence, a key trait of successful leaders.5. Women motivateWomen are natural cheerleaders. We love discovering what motivates people into action and we are excited to hand out words of encouragement, thank-yous, gifts for jobs well done and pats on the back, which could explain why Gallups 2015 State of the American Manager report says that people who work for women leaders are more engaged than those who work for men.The business world needs more women leaders because, quite frankly, we are just better at leading people. With that in mind, I encourage all you women out there to use your natural talents and step up to leadership--This article was originally published on SheKnows.com.Related stories5 Women on the Thrills and Challenges of Working i n Tech15 jobs with flexible schedules for busy working momsFlexible part-time jobs for students can seriously offset college expensesFairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women.Join us by reviewing your employer