Ever recruited someone to join your brilliant team and then realised you’d made a dreadful mistake?
Of all the experiences non-profit leaders don’t want, managing the ‘nightmare’ person is probably the toughest they’ll ever have to face. You know who I mean. Colleagues who undermine. Who bully, bitch and backstab. Narcissists and egotists. It disturbs me to even write those words and we all know that they exist in our sector. Disrupting and causing damage.
Sleepness nights
For some of my coaching clients this is very real, way above their many other challenges, causing massive anxiety and sleepless nights. Leading on redundancies and bringing in funding don’t even touch it.
In his recent Third Sector column, Martin Edwards, CEO of Julia’s Hospice, wrote of the rare times he’s had to manage “personal wrecking balls”. These been the most difficult experiences of his career – getting shot at included.
In his article, Martin share questions which he just wishes he could ask in interview to make sure they never get appointed in the first place.
“When were you last rubbish at work?”
“What did you say to the person who stopped you from being brilliant in your job?”
“Are you still on speaking terms with your worst employers?”
“What complaint about you did you welcome?”
“Who are the weakest links in your organisation?”
“Do you want to do my job?”
I love these questions! He’s aware most are no nos (including asking reception staff who they’d appoint!) but I do like his thinking. There’s no doubt these questions would help to show what candidates are really like to work with.
Thoughtful, reflective candidates will most likely take them in their stride with answers which show their self-awareness, humility or integrity. While the potential nightmares unwittingly reveal their true colours:
- they’re more likely to blame others than take responsibility for their own actions
- their inability to see and own up to their ‘failures’
- a lack of awareness of gaps in their skills
- their ‘go to’ response to criticism
- their discomfort with teamwork and giving credit to others.
It’s not okay to ambush your candidates
Of course, you don’t want to be going into an interview trying to catch people out. That’s not fair or helpful. And of course there are very good reasons for sharing questions beforehand so that everyone is able to interview at their best.
But what I like about his questions is the understanding that you’re not necessarily appointing for skills (which can be taught). You’re appointing for attitude (much harder to shift).
As a non-profit leader you want the very best team around you working together to create the change your organisation is committed to seeing – and you don’t want time, energy and sleep stolen by someone who is basically unmanageable.
What do you think of these questions? Would they do the same thing without tripping people up?
- Do you think of yourself as a lucky person? A grateful one?
- When did you last disagree with your manager? How did you handle it?
- What does personal success look like to you?
- What’s your biggest moan about where you worked last?
- Tell me about a time when you failed big time?
- What is super special about you?
- How would your current colleagues describe you in three words?
What’s next?
Want my support with leading your team? I have places to start one-to-one coaching with me this Autumn. Email me at katie@katieduckworth.com.
