Jason Monastra

My life and thoughts out on the web

Pretend that you are your current boss, what would you do differently?” is poised to you in an interview.  Classic question, imagining to walk in the shoes of the person that has been overseeing you for the recent past.  How many times have you thought during that time that you could do the job better or that you would have gone in a separate direction?  How we go about answering this can dictate a good deal about the interview and how the manager sitting in front of you looks at you moving forward.This is NOT a time where you elaborate on how you should be in the manager role, were passed over, and if you were in the position how things would be so much better.  If you would like to place yourself in the NEVER TO HIRE file for the company, go ahead and speak like that.  It is sure to do nothing but end the interview early and never get you a phone call back.  The decision on how to answer this will be based on personal feel for the manager that is in front of you now.  Customize what aspects of your boss you like/dislike and form them to address the key areas of concern for this job you are looking at.  For example, if the position requires a great deal of team building, decision making within groups and is a predominately matrixed organization….you can speak to the fact that your current boss makes decisions in a similar fashion, bringing together the team to determine best practices and strategy.  Therefore, there is really not too much that would be different about what you would do in the boss’s shoes since you were part of the decision making process to begin with.

This question offers a savvy interviewer some good insight into possible issues that you might present as an employee.  If you were to speak of numerous changes, that could indicate someone that will stir the pot, offering unbalance to the work group and you could be a management problem.  Balance is key here.  Not everyone like every single thing about their position.  No one expects that every aspect of the job is in exact alignment as you would want it, but they are looking for people that can work well within the technical environments and be productive not disruptive.  Let them know that you being the manager is a tough role, and decisions are based on varying aspects (some of which you were not exposed to) but based on the information you have this is how you would proceed.  This shows your understanding of the trials of mgmt and that you are not aware of all details when making certain decisions.  The person will appreciate your empathy to their position.

Make the answer flow.  You can ever turn the question back to the manager after you answer, asking them if they were in that certain situation…what would they do?  People enjoy speaking about themselves and if the issue was technical in nature, the right person will spill off about their plans and how they would address the issue (especially if they think the solution your current manager used was wrong).  Remember to be understanding and show balance in your answer, allowing the manager to see that you are a team player and someone that can take direction but that you will offer opinions when needed and that you can stand your ground without causing an upheaval.