14 tips that are designed to help you succeed in interviews

Savvy hiring managers have honed their ability to ask the least amount of questions yielding the greatest depth of information. One way they do this is by asking seemingly simple questions that get you to reveal information you may have been trying to conceal. In other words: questions designed to trick you.
"To uncover areas that may reflect inconsistencies, hiring managers sometimes ask these tricky questions," says Tina Nicolai, executive career coach and founder of Resume Writers' Ink.
Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job," says they use these queries to break through the "traditional interview noise and clutter," and to get to the "raw you."

"While some of these questions may seem as if they're designed to put you on the defensive, the intent is usually to evaluate candidate responses on multiple levels - not just at face value," Taylor explains. "Hiring managers can discern a great deal about job seekers with thought provoking, challenging questions. If they cross the line by being too tricky, unfair, or irrelevant, they can easily lose excellent talent."
1) How would you describe yourself in one word?
Why do they ask this? The question is likely being asked to elicit several data points: your personality type, how confident you are in your self perception, and whether your work style is a good fit for the job, Taylor explains.
What makes it tricky? This question can be a challenge, particularly early on in the interview, because you don really know what personality type the manager is seeking. "There is a fine line between sounding self-congratulatory versus confident, and humble versus timid," Taylor says. "And people are multifaceted, so putting a short label on oneself can seem nearly impossible."
What response are they looking for? Proceed cautiously, warns Taylor. "If you know you are reliable and dedicated, but love the fact that your friends praise your clever humor, stick with the conservative route." If you are applying for an accounting job, the one word descriptor should not be "creative," and if its an art director position, you don want it to be, "punctual," for example. "Most employers today are seeking team players that are levelheaded under pressure, upbeat, honest, reliable, and dedicated. However, it would be a mistake to rattle off adjectives that you think will be well received. This is your opportunity to describe how your best attributes are a great match for the job as you see it."
2) How does this position compare to others you are applying for?
Why do they ask this? They are basically asking: "Are you applying for other jobs?" "The hiring manager is first trying to figure out how active you are in your job search," Nicolai says. Then, once you open up, they want to see how to speak about other companies or positions you are interested in — and how honest you are.
What makes it tricky? If you say, "This is the only job I'm applying for," that'll send up a red flag. Very few job applicants only apply to the one single job — so they may assume you are being dishonest. However, if you openly speak about other positions you are pursuing, and you speak favourably about them, the hiring manager may worry that you'll end up taking another job elsewhere, and they won want to waste their time. "Speaking negatively about other jobs or employers isn't good either," she says.
What response are they looking for? It is appropriate to say, "There are several organizations with whom I am interviewing, however, I not yet decided the best fit for my next career move." "This is positive and protects the competitors," says Nicolai. "No reason to pit companies or to brag."
3) Can you name three of your strengths and weaknesses?
Why do they ask this? The interviewer is looking for red flags and deal breakers, such as inability to work well with coworkers and/or an inability to meet deadlines. "Each job has its unique requirements, so your answers should showcase applicable strengths, and your weaknesses should have a silver lining," Taylor says. "At the very least, you should indicate that negative attributes have diminished because of positive actions you have taken."
What makes it tricky? You can sabotage yourself addressing either. Exposing your weaknesses can hurt you if not ultimately turned into positives, she says. "Your strengths may not align with the skill set or work style required for the job. It's best to prepare for this question in advance, or risk landing in a minefield."
What response are they looking for? Hiring managers want to know that your strengths will be a direct asset to the new position and none of your weaknesses would hurt your ability to perform. "They are also looking for your ability to self assess with maturity and confidence," says Taylor.
4) Why do you want to work here?
Why do they ask this? Interviewers ask this because they want to know what drives you the most, how well you researched them, and how much you want the job.
What makes it tricky? "Clearly you want to work for the firm for several reasons," Taylor says. "But just how you prioritize them reveals a lot about what is important to you." You may be thinking to yourself, "I'm not getting paid what I'm worth," or, "I have a terrible boss," or, "All things being equal, this commute is incredibly short" — none of which endears you to the hiring manager. "You are also being tested on your level of interest for the job," she says.
What response are they looking for? Hiring managers want to see that you have taken the time to research the company and understand the industry.
They also want to know that you actually want this job (and not just any job); that you have a can-do attitude; that you are high energy; that you can make a significant contribution; that you understand their mission and goals; and that you want to be part of that mission.
5) Why do you want to leave your current job?
Why do they ask this? "Your prospective boss is looking for patterns or anything negative, especially if your positions are many and short-term," Taylor explains. They may try to determine if you currently have or had issues working with others leading to termination, if you get bored quickly in a job, or other red flags.
What makes it tricky? No one likes talking about a job they dislike and why. If not answered diplomatically, your answer could raise further questions and doubts, or sink your chances entirely.
What response are they looking for? They are hoping that you are seeking a more challenging position that is a better fit for your current skill set. "Know that hiring managers don mind hearing that you are particularly excited about the growth opportunity at their company."
6) What are you most proud of in your career?
Why do they ask this? Interviewers ask this because they want to understand what you are passionate about, what you feel you excel at, and whether you take pride in your work. "How you describe your favourite project, for example, is almost as important as the project itself," Taylor says. "It's assumed that if you can speak with conviction and pride about your past work, you can do the same during important presentations at the new employer."
What makes it tricky? Managers may assume that this type of work is what you really want to do most or focus on in the future. It can make you sound one-dimensional if you don put it in the context of a larger range of skills and interests.
What response are they looking for? Hiring managers want to see your ability to articulate well, foster enthusiasm in others, and your positive energy. "But one note of caution: In all your zeal to share your successes, remain concise," Taylor suggests. "You want to showcase your ability to present well once on the job."

7) What kind of boss and coworkers have you had the most and least success with, and why?
Why do they ask this? Interviewers are trying to ascertain if you generally have conflicts with people and/or personality types. "Secondarily, they want to know how you can work at your best," says Taylor.
What makes it tricky? You run the risk of appearing difficult by admitting to unsuccessful interactions with others, unless you keep emotions out of it. You may also inadvertently describe some of the attributes of your prospective boss. If you say, "I had a boss who held so many meetings that it was hard to get my work done," and your interviewer turns beet red — you might have hit a nerve.
What response are they looking for? "They want to hear more good than bad news," Taylor explains. "It's always best to start out with the positive and downplay the negatives." You don want to be evasive, but this is not the time to outline all your personality shortcomings either. Here you have an opportunity to speak generally about traits that you admire in others, yet appear flexible enough to work with a variety of personality types. For example: "I think I work well with a wide gamut of personalities. Some of my most successful relationships have been where both people communicated very well and set mutual expectations upfront."
8) Have you ever considered being an entrepreneur?
Why do they ask this? The interviewer is testing to see if you still have the hidden desire to run your own company, thus abandoning ship, Taylor says. "No firm wants to sense this, as they will begin to ponder whether their valuable training time and money could vanish."
What makes it tricky? Most everyone has considered being an entrepreneur at some point in their lives, but to varying degrees. This question is tricky because you can unwittingly be lured into talking about your one-time desire to be your own boss with too much perceived enthusiasm. An employer may fear that you still hope to eventually go out on your own, and they'll consider you a flight risk.
What response are they looking for? It's okay to tell a prospective manager that you once considered entrepreneurship or have worked as an independent contractor. It can easily be turned into a positive by stating that you already experienced it or thought about it, and its not for you. That might be more convincing than saying, "No, I never considered that."
This is an opportunity to discuss why working in a corporate environment as part of a team is most fulfilling to you. You may also enjoy the specialized work in your field more than the operational, financial, or administrative aspects of entrepreneurship. You can further allay their fears by explaining exactly why their company appeals to you.

9) If you could work for any company, where would you work?
Why do they ask this? Hiring managers want to ascertain how serious you are about working for them in particular, versus the competition, as well as your level of loyalty, Taylor says. "It also helps them weed out candidates who may veer from the core career. You may have heard that Google is a great place to work, but that off-road strategy would spell doom, as you have being given the opportunity to theoretically work at your dream job. The interviewer isn't making conversation here, so stay focused on the job at hand."
What makes it tricky? You might get caught up in the casual flow of the discussion and inadvertently leak out some well-respected firms, but this is counterproductive and only instils some doubt about your objectives.
What are they seeking? "Your interviewer wants to know that you are interviewing at your first company of choice." A response to this might be, "Actually, I have been heavily researching target firms, and [your company] seems like the ideal fit for my credentials. It's exciting to me that [your company] is doing XYZ in the industry, for example, and I'd like to contribute my part."
10) What would you do if you won $5 million tomorrow?
Why do they ask this? They want to know whether you'd still work if you didn't need the money. Your response to this question tells the employer about your motivation and work ethic. They may also want to know what you'd spend the money on, or whether you'd invest it. This tells them how responsible you are with your money, and how mature you are as a person.
What makes it tricky? Questions that are out of left field can ambush you, causing you to lose composure. "They have nothing to do with the job at hand, and you may wonder if there is any significance to them," Taylor says. "Whether there is or not, the fact remains that you can easily lose your cool if you don pause and gather your thoughts before you respond to a question like this."
What response are they looking for? They want to hear that you'd continue working because you are passionate about what you do — and they want to know you'd make smart financial decisions. If you'd do something irresponsible with your own money, they'll worry you'll be careless with theirs.
11) Have you ever been asked to compromise your integrity by your supervisor or colleague? Tell us about it.
Why do they ask this? Your prospective boss is evaluating your moral compass. They want to know how you handled a delicate situation that put your integrity to the test, Taylor explains. "They may also dig too deeply to test your level of discretion." Essentially they want to know: Did you use diplomacy? Did you publicly blow the whistle? Did a backlash ensue? What was your thought process?
What makes it tricky? Interviewers want to know how you manage sensitive matters, and are also wary of those who badmouth former employers, no matter how serious the misdeed. "They will be concerned if you share too much proprietary information with the interviewer," she says. "So it is tricky because you must carefully choose your words, using the utmost diplomacy."
What response are they looking for? It's wise to be clear, concise, and professional in your answer, without revealing any internal practices of prior employers. "You have nothing to gain by divulging private corporation information."
Something like this might work: "There was one time where a fellow worker asked me to get involved in a project that seemed unethical, but the problem resolved itself. I try to be as honest as possible early on if a project creates concern for me about the company, as I'm very dedicated to its success."
12) Can you give us a reason someone may not like working with you?
Why do they ask this? Prospective bosses want to know if there are any glaring personality issues, and what better way that to go direct to the source? "They figure that the worst that can happen is you will lie, and they may feel they are still adept at detecting mistruths," Taylor explains. "The negative tone of the question is bound to test the mettle of even the most seasoned business professionals."
What makes it tricky? You can easily shoot yourself in the foot with this question. If you flip and say, "I can think of a reason anyone wouldn't like working with me," you are subtly insulting the interviewer by trivializing the question. So you have to frame the question in a way that gets at the intent without being self-effacing. "Hiring managers are not seeking job candidates who have self-pity," she says.
What response are they looking for? You don want to say, "Well I'm not always the easiest person to be around, particularly when under deadlines. I sometimes lose my temper too easily." You might as well pack up and look for the nearest exit. "Conversely, you can lead with the positive and go from there: Generally I havee been fortunate to have great relationships at all my jobs. The only times I have been disliked — and it was temporary — was when I needed to challenge my staff to perform better. Sometimes I feel we must make unpopular decisions that are for the larger good of the company," Taylor suggests.
13) Why have you been out of work for so long?
Why do they ask this? "Interviewers are sceptical by design," Taylor says. "Sometimes you are guilty until proven innocent — until all the perceived skeletons in the closet have been removed." This is a daunting question in particular because it can seem offensive. The implication is that you might not be motivated enough to secure a job; you are being distracted by other pursuits; your skills set may not be up to date; there is an issue with your past employers, or a host of other concerns.
What makes it tricky? The way its worded is naturally designed to test your resilience. The key is not to take the bait and just answer the intent of the question in a calm, factual manner.
What response are they looking for? The hiring manager wants be assured that you possess initiative even when unemployed, as this drive and tenacity will translate well in a corporate setting. Sample responses: "I have been interviewing steadily, but want to find the ideal fit before I jump in and give my typical 110%," or, "I'm active in my job search, and I keep my skills current through [courses, volunteering, social media, business networking groups]." "If you took off time to take care of a personal matter, you can certainly state that without giving a lot of detail," Taylor says.
Make sure you are accountable. Don't blame the unemployment rate, your market, industry, or anything else. This is about how active and excited you are to be making a contribution to the employer.
14) How did you make time for this interview? Where does your boss think you are right now?
Why do they ask this? Hiring managers want to find out if your priorities are in the right place: current job first, interviews second. "They know that the habits you follow now speak to your integrity and how you will treat your job at their company should you undertake a future job search," says Taylor. "They also want to know how you handle awkward situations where you cannot be truthful to your boss. Ideally your interview is during a break that is your time, which is important to point out."
What makes it tricky? The implication is, "How is it searching for a job behind your bosses back?" For most employed job seekers, it's uncomfortable to lie about their whereabouts. So they are vague and treat it like any other personal matter they handle on their time.
What response are they looking for? It's wise to explain that you always put your job first, and schedule interviews before or after work, at lunchtime, during weekends if appropriate, and during personal time off. If asked pointedly, "Where does your boss think you are right now?" be vague. Don say: "I took a sick day." Instead, Taylor suggests you try something like: "My boss understands that I have certain break periods and personal time — he doesn't ask for details. He's most interested in my results."

Source: IT

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Strategic principles for competing in the digital age

Digitization is rewriting the rules of competition, with incumbent companies most at risk of being left behind. Here are six critical decisions CEOs must make to address the strategic challenge posed by the digital revolution.

The board of a large European insurer was pressing management for answers. A company known mostly for its online channel had begun to undercut premiums in a number of markets and was doing so without agents, building on its dazzling brand reputation online and using new technologies to engage buyers. Some of the insurer’s senior managers were sure the threat would abate. Others pointed to serious downtrends in policy renewals among younger customers avidly using new web-based price-comparison tools. The board decided that the company needed to quicken its digital pace.

For many leaders, this story may sound familiar, harkening back to the scary days, 15 years ago, when they encountered the first wave of Internet competitors. Many incumbents responded effectively to these threats, some of which in any event dissipated with the dot-com crash. Today’s challenge is different. Robust attackers are scaling up with incredible speed, inserting themselves artfully between you and your customers and zeroing in on lucrative value-chain segments.

The digital technologies underlying these competitive thrusts may not be new, but they are being used to new effect. Staggering amounts of information are accessible as never before—from proprietary big data to new public sources of open data. Analytical and processing capabilities have made similar leaps with algorithms scattering intelligence across digital networks, themselves often lodged in the cloud. Smart mobile devices make that information and computing power accessible to users around the world.

As these technologies gain momentum, they are profoundly changing the strategic context: altering the structure of competition, the conduct of business, and, ultimately, performance across industries. One banking CEO, for instance, says the industry is in the midst of a transition that occurs once every 100 years. To stay ahead of the unfolding trends and disruptions, leaders across industries will need to challenge their assumptions and pressure-test their strategies.

Opportunities and threats

Digitization often lowers entry barriers, causing long-established boundaries between sectors to tumble. At the same time, the “plug and play” nature of digital assets causes value chains to disaggregate, creating openings for focused, fast-moving competitors. New market entrants often scale up rapidly at lower cost than legacy players can, and returns may grow rapidly as more customers join the network.¹

Digital capabilities increasingly will determine which companies create or lose value. Those shifts take place in the context of industry evolution, which isn’t monolithic but can follow a well-worn path: new trends emerge and disruptive entrants appear, their products and services embraced by early adopters (exhibit). Advanced incumbents then begin to adjust to these changes, accelerating the rate of customer adoption until the industry’s level of digitization—among companies but, perhaps more critically, among consumers as well—reaches a tipping point. Eventually, what was once radical is normal, and unprepared incumbents run the risk of becoming the next Blockbuster. Others, which have successfully built new capabilities (as Burberry did in retailing), become powerful digital players. (See the accompanying article, “The seven habits of highly effective digital enterprises.”) The opportunities for the leaders include:

• Enhancing interactions among customers, suppliers, stakeholders, and employees. For many transactions, consumers and businesses increasingly prefer digital channels, which make content universally accessible by mixing media (graphics and video, for example), tailoring messages for context (providing location or demographic information), and adding social connectivity (allowing communities to build around themes and needs, as well as ideas shared among friends). These channels lower the cost of transactions and record them transparently, which can help in resolving disputes.
• Improving management decisions as algorithms crunch big data from social technologies or the Internet of Things. Better decision making helps improve performance across business functions—for example, providing for finer marketing allocations (down to the level of individual consumers) or mitigating operational risks by sensing wear and tear on equipment.
• Enabling new business or operating models, such as peer-to-peer product innovation or customer service. China’s Xiaomi crowdsources features of its new mobile phones rather than investing heavily in R&D, and Telstra crowdsources customer service, so that users support each other to resolve problems without charge. New business or operating models can also disintermediate existing customer–supplier relations—for example, when board-game developers or one-person shops manufacture products using 3-D printers and sell directly to Amazon.

The upshot is that digitization will change industry landscapes as it gives life to new sets of competitors. Some players may consider your capabilities a threat even before you have identified them as competitors. Indeed, the forces at work today will bring immediate challenges, opportunities—or both—to literally all digitally connected businesses.

Seven forces at work

Our research and experience with leading companies point to seven trends that could redefine competition.

1. New pressure on prices and margins

Digital technologies create near-perfect transparency, making it easy to compare prices, service levels, and product performance: consumers can switch among digital retailers, brands, and services with just a few clicks or finger swipes. This dynamic can commoditize products and services as consumers demand comparable features and simple interactions. Some banks, for instance, now find that simplifying products for easy purchase on mobile phones inadvertently contributes to a convergence between their offerings and those of competitors that are also pursuing mobile-friendly simplicity.

Third parties have jumped into this fray, disintermediating relationships between companies and their customers. The rise of price-comparison sites that aggregate information across vendors and allow consumers to compare prices and service offerings easily is a testament to this trend. In Europe, chain retailers, which traditionally dominate fast-moving consumer goods, have seen their revenues fall as customers flock to discounters after comparing prices even for staples like milk and bread. In South Korea, online aggregator OK Cashbag has inserted itself into the consumer’s shopping behavior through a mobile app that pools product promotions and loyalty points for easy use across more than 50,000 merchants.

These dynamics create downward pressure on returns across consumer-facing industries, and the disruptive currents are now rippling out to B2B businesses.

2. Competitors emerge from unexpected places

Digital dynamics often undermine barriers to entry and long-standing sources of product differentiation. Web-based service providers in telecommunications or insurance, for example, can now tap markets without having to build distribution networks of offices and local agents. They can compete effectively by mining data on risks and on the incomes and preferences of customers.

At the same time, the expense of building brands online and the degree of consumer attention focused on a relatively small number of brands are redrawing battle lines in many markets. Singapore Post is investing in an e-commerce business that benefits from the company’s logistics and warehousing backbone. Japanese web retailer Rakuten is using its network to offer financial services. Web powerhouses like Google and Twitter eagerly test industry boundaries through products such as Google Wallet and Twitter’s retail offerings.

New competitors can often be smaller companies that will never reach scale but still do a lot of damage to incumbents. In the retailing industry, for instance, entrepreneurs are cherry-picking subcategories of products and severely undercutting pricing on small volumes, forcing bigger companies to do the same.

3. Winner-takes-all dynamics

Digital businesses reduce transaction and labor costs, increase returns to scale from aggregated data, and enjoy increases in the quality of digital talent and intellectual property as network effects kick in. The cost advantages can be significant: online retailers may generate three times the level of revenue per employee as even the top-performing discounters. Comparative advantage can materialize rapidly in these information-intensive models—not over the multiyear spans most companies expect.

Scale economies in data and talent often are decisive. In insurance, digital “natives” with large stores of consumer information may navigate risks better than traditional insurers do. Successful start-ups known for digital expertise and engineer-friendly cultures become magnets for the best digital talent, creating a virtuous cycle. These effects will accelerate consolidation in the industries where digital scale weighs most heavily, challenging more capital- and labor-intensive models. In our experience, banking, insurance, media, telecommunications, and travel are particularly vulnerable to these winner-takes-all market dynamics.

In France, for instance, the start-up Free has begun offering mobile service supported by a large and active digital community of “brand fans” and advocates. The company nurtures opinion-leader “alpha fans,” who interact with the rest of the base on the Internet via blogs, social networks, and other channels, building a wave of buzz that quickly spreads across the digital world. Spending only modestly on traditional marketing, Free nonetheless has achieved high levels of customer satisfaction through its social-media efforts—and has gained substantial market share.²

4. Plug-and-play business models

As digital forces reduce transaction costs, value chains disaggregate. Third-party products and services—digital Lego blocks, in effect—can be quickly integrated into the gaps. Amazon, for instance, offers businesses logistics, online retail “storefronts,” and IT services. For many businesses, it may not pay to build out those functions at competitive levels of performance, so they simply plug an existing offering into their value chains. In the United States, registered investment advisers have been the fastest-growing segment³ of the investment-advisory business, for example. They are expanding so fast largely because they “insource” turnkey systems (including record keeping and operating infrastructure) purchased from Charles Schwab, Fidelity, and others that give them all the capabilities they need. With a license, individuals or small groups can be up and running their own firms.

In the travel industry, new portals are assembling entire trips: flights, hotels, and car rentals. The stand-alone offerings of third parties, sometimes from small companies or even individuals, plug into such portals. These packages are put together in real time, with dynamic pricing that depends on supply and demand. As more niche providers gain access to the new platforms, competition is intensifying.

5. Growing talent mismatches

Software replaces labor in digital businesses. We estimate, for instance, that of the 700 end-to-end processes in banks (opening an account or getting a car loan, for example), about half can be fully automated. Computers increasingly are performing complex tasks as well. “Brilliant machines,” like IBM’s Watson, are poised to take on the work of many call-center workers. Even knowledge-intensive areas, such as oncology diagnostics, are susceptible to challenge by machines: thanks to the ability to scan and store massive amounts of medical research and patients’ MRI results, Watson diagnoses cancers with much higher levels of speed and accuracy than skilled physicians do. Digitization will encroach on a growing number of knowledge roles within companies as they automate many frontline and middle-management jobs based upon synthesizing information for C-level executives.

At the same time, companies are struggling to find the right talent in areas that can’t be automated. Such areas include digital skills like those of artificial-intelligence programmers or data scientists and of people who lead digital strategies and think creatively about new business designs. A key challenge for senior managers will be sensitively reallocating the savings from automation to the talent needed to forge digital businesses. One global company, for example, is simultaneously planning to cut more than 10,000 employees (some through digital economies) while adding 3,000 to its digital business. Moves like these, writ large, could have significant social repercussions, elevating the opportunities and challenges associated with digital advances to a public-policy issue, not just a strategic-business one.

6. Converging global supply and demand

Digital technologies know no borders, and the customer’s demand for a unified experience is raising pressure on global companies to standardize offerings. In the B2C domain, for example, many US consumers are accustomed to e-shopping in the United Kingdom for new fashions (see sidebar, “How digitization is reshaping global flows”). They have come to expect payment systems that work across borders, global distribution, and a uniform customer experience.

Sidebar

How digitization is reshaping global flows

In B2B markets from banking to telecommunications, corporate purchasers are raising pressure on their suppliers to offer services that are standardized across borders, integrate with other offerings, and can be plugged into the purchasing companies’ global business processes easily. One global bank has aligned its offerings with the borderless strategies of its major customers by creating a single website, across 20 countries, that integrates what had been an array of separate national or product touch points. A US technology company has given each of its larger customers a customized global portal that allows it to get better insights into their requirements, while giving them an integrated view of global prices and the availability of components.

7. Relentlessly evolving business models—at higher velocity

Digitization isn’t a one-stop journey. A case in point is music, where the model has shifted from selling tapes and CDs (and then MP3s) to subscription models, like Spotify’s. In transportation, digitization (a combination of mobile apps, sensors in cars, and data in the cloud) has propagated a powerful nonownership model best exemplified by Zipcar, whose service members pay to use vehicles by the hour or day. Google’s ongoing tests of autonomous vehicles indicate even more radical possibilities to shift value. As the digital model expands, auto manufacturers will need to adapt to the swelling demand of car buyers for more automated, safer features. Related businesses, such as trucking and insurance, will be affected, too, as automation lowers the cost of transportation (driverless convoys) and “crash-less” cars rewrite the existing risk profiles of drivers.

Managing the strategic challenges: Six big decisions

Rethinking strategy in the face of these forces involves difficult decisions and trade-offs. Here are six of the thorniest.

Decision 1: Buy or sell businesses in your portfolio?

The growth and profitability of some businesses become less attractive in a digital world, and the capabilities needed to compete change as well. Consequently, the portfolio of businesses within a company may have to be altered if it is to achieve its desired financial profile or to assemble needed talent and systems.

Tesco has made a number of significant digital acquisitions over a two-year span to take on digital competition in consumer electronics. Beauty-product and fragrance retailer Sephora recently acquired Scentsa, a specialist in digital technologies that improve the in-store shopping experience. (Scentsa touch screens access product videos, link to databases on skin care and fragrance types, and make product recommendations.) Sephora officials said they bought the company to keep its technology out of competitors’ reach and to help develop in-store products more rapidly.⁴

Companies that lack sufficient scale or expect a significant digital downside should consider divesting businesses. Some insurers, for instance, may find themselves outmatched by digital players that can fine-tune risks. In media, DMGT doubled down on an investment in their digital consumer businesses, while making tough structural decisions on their legacy print assets, including the divestment of local publications and increases in their national cover price. Home Depot continues to shift its investment strategy away from new stores to massive new warehouses that serve growing online sales. This year it bought Blinds.com, adding to a string of website acquisitions.⁵

Decision 2: Lead your customers or follow them?

Incumbents too have opportunities for launching disruptive strategies. One European real-estate brokerage group, with a large, exclusively controlled share of the listings market, decided to act before digital rivals moved into its space. It set up a web-based platform open to all brokers (many of them competitors) and has now become the leading national marketplace, with a growing share. In other situations, the right decision may be to forego digital moves—particularly in industries with high barriers to entry, regulatory complexities, and patents that protect profit streams.

Between these extremes lies the all-too-common reality that digital efforts risk cannibalizing products and services and could erode margins. Yet inaction is equally risky. In-house data on existing buyers can help incumbents with large customer bases develop insights (for example, in pricing and channel management) that are keener than those of small attackers. Brand advantages too can help traditional players outflank digital newbies.

Decision 3: Cooperate or compete with new attackers?

A large incumbent in an industry that’s undergoing digital disruption can feel like a whale attacked by piranhas. While in the past, there may have been one or two new entrants entering your space, there may be dozens now—each causing pain, with none individually fatal. PayPal, for example, is taking slices of payment businesses, and Amazon is eating into small-business lending. Companies can neutralize attacks by rapidly building copycat propositions or even acquiring attackers. However, it’s not feasible to defend all fronts simultaneously, so cooperation with some attackers can make more sense than competing.

Santander, for instance, recently went into partnership with start-up Funding Circle. The bank recognized that a segment of its customer base wanted access to peer-to-peer lending and in effect acknowledged that it would be costly to build a world-class offering from scratch. A group of UK banks formed a consortium to build a mobile-payment utility (Paym) to defend against technology companies entering their markets. British high-end grocer Waitrose collaborated with start-up Ocado to establish a digital channel and home distribution before eventually creating its own digital offering.

Digital technologies themselves are opening pathways to collaborative forms of innovation. Capital One launched Capital One Labs, opening its software interfaces to multiple third parties, which can defend a range of spaces along their value chains by accessing Capital One’s risk- and credit-assessment capabilities without expending their own capital.

Decision 4: Diversify or double down on digital initiatives?

As digital opportunities and challenges proliferate, deciding where to place new bets is a growing headache for leaders. Diversification reduces risks, so many companies are tempted to let a thousand flowers bloom. But often these small initiatives, however innovative, don’t get enough funding to endure or are easily replicated by competitors. One answer is to think like a private-equity fund, seeding multiple initiatives but being disciplined enough to kill off those that don’t quickly gain momentum and to bankroll those with genuinely disruptive potential. Since 2010, Merck’s Global Health Innovation Fund, with $500 million under management, has invested in more than 20 start-ups with positions in health informatics, personalized medicine, and other areas—and it continues to search for new prospects. Other companies, such as BMW and Deutsche Telekom, have set up units to finance digital start-ups.

The alternative is to double down in one area, which may be the right strategy in industries with massive value at stake. A European bank refocused its digital investments on 12 customer decision journeys,⁶ such as buying a house, that account for less than 5 percent of its processes but nearly half of its cost base. A leading global pharmaceutical company has made significant investments in digital initiatives, pooling data with health insurers to improve rates of adherence to drug regimes. It is also using data to identify the right patients for clinical trials and thus to develop drugs more quickly, while investing in programs that encourage patients to use monitors and wearable devices to track treatment outcomes. Nordstrom has invested heavily to give its customers multichannel experiences. It focused initially on developing first-class shipping and inventory-management facilities and then extended its investments to mobile-shopping apps, kiosks, and capabilities for managing customer relationships across channels.

Decision 5: Keep digital businesses separate or integrate them with current nondigital ones?

Integrating digital operations directly into physical businesses can create additional value—for example, by providing multichannel capabilities for customers or by helping companies share infrastructure, such as supply-chain networks. However, it can be hard to attract and retain digital talent in a traditional culture, and turf wars between the leaders of the digital and the main business are commonplace. Moreover, different businesses may have clashing views on, say, how to design and implement a multichannel strategy.

One global bank addressed such tensions by creating a groupwide center of excellence populated by digital specialists who advise business units and help them build tools. The digital teams will be integrated with the units eventually, but not until the teams reach critical mass and notch a number of successes. The UK department-store chain John Lewis bought additional digital capabilities with its acquisition of the UK division of Buy.com,⁷ in 2001, ultimately combining it with the core business. Wal-Mart Stores established its digital business away from corporate headquarters to allow a new culture and new skills to grow. Hybrid approaches involving both stand-alone and well-integrated digital organizations are possible, of course, for companies with diverse business portfolios.

Decision 6: Delegate or own the digital agenda?

Advancing the digital agenda takes lots of senior-management time and attention. Customer behavior and competitive situations are evolving quickly, and an effective digital strategy calls for extensive cross-functional orchestration that may require CEO involvement. One global company, for example, attempted to digitize its processes to compete with a new entrant. The R&D function responsible for product design had little knowledge of how to create offerings that could be distributed effectively over digital channels. Meanwhile, a business unit under pricing pressure was leaning heavily on functional specialists for an outsize investment to redesign the back office. Eventually, the CEO stepped in and ordered a new approach, which organized the digitization effort around the decision journeys of clients.

Faced with the need to sort through functional and regional issues related to digitization, some companies are creating a new role: chief digital officer (or the equivalent), a common way to introduce outside talent with a digital mind-set to provide a focus for the digital agenda. Walgreens, a well-performing US pharmacy and retail chain, hired its president of digital and chief marketing officer (who reports directly to the CEO) from a top technology company six years ago. Her efforts have included leading the acquisition of drugstore.com, which still operates as a pure play. The acquisition upped Walgreens’ skill set, and drugstore.com increasingly shares its digital infrastructure with the company’s existing site: walgreens.com.

Relying on chief digital officers to drive the digital agenda carries some risk of balkanization. Some of them, lacking a CEO’s strategic breadth and depth, may sacrifice the big picture for a narrower focus—say, on marketing or social media. Others may serve as divisional heads, taking full P&L responsibility for businesses that have embarked on robust digital strategies but lacking the influence or authority to get support for execution from the functional units.

Alternatively, CEOs can choose to “own” and direct the digital agenda personally, top down. That may be necessary if digitization is a top-three agenda item for a company or group, if digital businesses need substantial resources from the organization as a whole, or if pursuing new digital priorities requires navigating political minefields in business units or functions.

Regardless of the organizational or leadership model a CEO and board choose, it’s important to keep in mind that digitization is a moving target. The emergent nature of digital forces means that harnessing them is a journey, not a destination—a relentless leadership experience and a rare opportunity to reposition companies for a new era of competition and growth.

About the authors

Martin Hirt is a director in McKinsey’s Taipei office, and Paul Willmott is a director in the London office.

The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of ’Tunde Olanrewaju and Meng Wei Tan to this article.

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11 Things You Should Never Say At Work

What you say matters. Whether you're voicing an idea during a meeting or making an offhand comment at lunch, everything you say adds to your overall character.

In the new book "Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success," Sylvia Ann Hewlett says three things signal whether a professional is leadership material: how they act, how they look, and how they speak.

Speaking eloquently not only improves your daily communications, it builds up your overall persona and executive presence. "Every verbal encounter is a vital opportunity to create and nurture a positive impression," Hewlett writes.

Some phrases instantly undermine your authority and professionalism, and should be banned from the office. Here are 11 things you should never say at work:

1. "Does that make sense?"

Instead of making sure you're understood, asking this tells the listener that you don't fully understand the idea yourself, career coach Tara Sophia Mohr told Refinery 29. Instead, she suggests asking, "What are your thoughts?"

2. "It's not fair."

Simply complaining about an injustice isn't going to change the situation. "Whether it's a troubling issue at work or a serious problem for the planet, the point in avoiding this phrase is to be proactive about the issues versus complaining, or worse, passively whining," Darlene Price, author of "Well Said! Presentations and Conversations That Get Results" told Forbes.

3. "I haven't had time."

"More often than not, this is simply not true," said Atle Skalleberg in a LinkedIn post. Whether you didn't make time for the task or forgot about it, Skalleberg suggests giving a time when it will be done instead of explaining why it's late.

4. "Just"

Adding "just" as a filler word in sentences, such as saying "I just want to check if..." or "I just think that..." may seem harmless, but it can detract from what you're saying. "We insert justs because we're worried about coming on too strong," says Mohr, "but they make the speaker sound defensive, a little whiny, and tentative." Leave them out, and you'll speak with more authority.

5. "But I sent it in an email a week ago."

If someone doesn't get back to you, it's your job to follow up, says Skalleberg. Be proactive when communicating instead of letting the other person take the blame.

6. "I hate..." or "It's so annoying when..."

Insults have no place in the office, especially when directed at a specific person or company practice. "Not only does it reveal juvenile school-yard immaturity, it's language that is liable and fire-able," says Price.

7. "That's not my responsibility."

Even if it's not your specific duty, stepping up to help shows that you're a team player and willing to go the extra mile. "At the end of the day, we're all responsible," Skalleberg says.

8. "You should have..."

"Chances are, these fault-finding words inflict feelings of blame and finger-pointing," Price says. She suggests using a positive approach instead, such as saying, "In the future, I recommend..."

9. "I may be wrong, but..."

Price calls this kind of language "discounting," meaning that it immediately reduces the impact of whatever you're about to say. "Eliminate any prefacing phrase that demeans the importance of who you are or lessens the significance of what you contribute," she says.

10. "Sorry, but..."

This implies that you're automatically being annoying. "Don't apologize for taking up space, or for having something to say," says Mohr.

11. "Actually..."

Prefacing sentences with this word, as in, "Actually, it's right over there," or "Actually, you can do it this way," puts distance between you and the listener by hinting that they were somehow wrong, according to Carolyn Kopprasch, chief happiness officer at Buffer. Rephrase to create a more positive sentiment.

Source: BI | EMMIE MARTIN

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11 Interview Questions Hiring Managers Ask To Test Your Personality

Employers today aren't necessarily only looking for candidates with the right set of technical skills and years of experience under their belt. They want to hire those who also have something unique to offer - like a great personality 0r strong set of soft skills.

"In fact, if they find a candidate who has less experience than their competition, but has stronger growth potential and seems to be a better cultural fit, the employer may feel encouraged to hire that person," says Edward Fleischman, chief executive officer of Execu Search, a full-service recruitment, temporary staffing, and retained search firm.

In an effort to find new hires that are great cultural fits, employers are putting more emphasis on soft skills, or intangible qualities, "that are not always apparent on a piece of paper," he says. "Though the specific personality traits that employers are looking for are subjective to the role and the organization, some qualities that are a good indication of success in a role include organizational and communication skills, great team player, strong leadership skills, an ability to think on your feet, drive, and initiative."

To figure out if candidates possess the soft skills or personality fit that they are looking for, employers often ask these 11 interview questions that aim to get a closer glimpse at one's personality:

If your best friend was sitting here, what would they say is the best part about being your friend?

The purpose of this question is to bring out a sense of honesty and candor in a candidate. "Learning about what makes an applicant a good friend allows employers to get a better feel for whether or not they would fit in with the company culture," Fleischman says.

If you could change one thing about the way you approach challenges, what would it be?

This question, which puts candidates on the spot, allows hiring managers to evaluate a candidate's self-awareness and ability to admit there are some aspects of their professional life they would like to improve, Fleischman explains. "Since humility is an important quality to many employers, a response to this question is something they listen closely to."

If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

This inquiry is a favorite amongst hiring managers because it allows them to not only evaluate how quickly someone can think on their feet, but it also requires candidates to exercise some degree of creativity in a relatively short amount of time, he says. These are two skills that can be applicable to solving almost any business challenge.

What has the most satisfying moment in your life been?

When employers ask this question, they are looking to see what motivates a candidate and whether or not their values fit into the company culture, Fleischman says.

How would your last supervisor describe you in three words?

"This inquiry gives the employer a glimpse into how others view a candidate's professional value," he explains. Since this question is specific in the fact that it asks about the applicant's last role, the answer will help employers see if these traits are applicable to their organization.

What drives you in your professional life?

Employers ask this question to gain insight into what motivates a candidate both in their career and as a potential employee. "As cultural fit becomes more important to employers and their business as a whole, many look for candidates whose goals align with theirs, and asking this question allows them to assess what exactly a candidate's goals are," Fleischman says.

What drives you in your personal life?

Similarly, this question aims to delve into a candidate's personality and better assess their cultural fit. "By developing a better understanding of a job seeker's non-work life, and by learning about what drives them personally, an employer can get a better grasp of the type of personality they'd be bringing to the company," he says. In addition, painting a picture of a candidate's personal goals can help an employer better understand how motivated they are in general.

What types of hobbies do you enjoy outside of work?

Just like learning about what drives someone in their personal life, discovering how someone spends their time outside of work and what specific activities they enjoy and invest in can give an interesting look into their personality, Fleischman explains. In addition, hobbies can translate into specific soft and hard skills that can be applicable to many jobs, and employers are often interested in learning what a candidate has to offer outside their resume's "skills" section.

Can you take me through a scenario at work that was particularly stressful for you, and how you handled it?

This question shows not only the candidate's ability to think on their feet, but also their ability to be diplomatic, he says. For example, if the stressful situation was due to someone else's errors, was the candidate able to speak about it in a professional, tactful way? On the other hand, if the stressful situation was due to their own error, it shows a great deal about a candidate if they can take responsibility for it in their explanation.

If you could meet a celebrity, who would it be and why?

Many people admire certain celebrities and public figures. Learning about who a candidate would be most excited to meet offers another interesting viewpoint into their personality and their values - two important factors of cultural fit.

Have you ever played on a sports team?

The answer to this question can reveal personality traits that are important to certain companies, depending on the nature of their business. "For example, a former athlete could be a great team player or, depending on the sport or position they played, may thrive best while working on their own," Fleischman explains. Sometimes, athletes (current or former) possess a competitive nature, which can be a positive trait in some lines of business and a negative one in others.

Source: BI | JACQUELYN SMITH

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7 Bad Speaking Habits That Turn People Off

Not even the best ideas can put you on the path to success if no one will listen to you.

Speaker and author Julian Treasure gave a popular TED Talk last year that explained how anyone can speak effectively, whether in a conversation or in front of a crowd. How well you influence others is as much about you do say as what you don't.

Here are the bad habits you need to avoid if you want people to listen to you, which Treasure calls the "seven deadly sins of speaking":

1. Gossiping

Speaking badly of somebody else seems to have a chain reaction, Treasure says. If you engage in gossip, you can give yourself a bad reputation and inspire others to start gossiping about you.

2. Judging

If you fill your conversations with judgments of others, you're making the person you're speaking with self-conscious of being judged themselves, Treasure says. They'll be afraid to open up to you and may shut down completely.

3. Being negative

"My mother, in the last years of her life, became very, very negative, and it's hard to listen," he says. "I remember one day, I said to her, 'It's October 1 today,' and she said, 'I know, isn't it dreadful?'" Choosing to be optimistic will make you more enjoyable to talk to. Plus, it's better for your health.

4. Complaining

Complaining easily becomes a habit, and before you know it, you'll be known as the person who complains about the weather, the news, work, and everything else. It's what Treasure calls "viral misery."

5. Making excuses

Some people have a "blamethrower," Treasure says, putting the blame on anybody and anything except themselves when met with failure. While others may let the occasional excuse slide, a constant stream of them reveals that you do not take responsibility for your actions.

6. Exaggerating

Exaggeration "demeans our language," Treasure says. Adding dramatic flair is essentially a form of lying, and "we don't want to listen to people we know are lying to us."

7. Being dogmatic

It's dangerous when opinions and facts become confused. Nobody wants to be bombarded with opinions stated as if they were true.

Source: BI | RICHARD FELONI

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How to Start a Conversation You’re Dreading

I anticipated that the conversation would be difficult.

Shari* and I had worked together for many years, and I knew she was expecting me to hire her to run a leadership program for one of my clients, Ganta, a high-tech company. But I didn’t think Shari was the right fit for Ganta or, frankly, for the role of running the leadership training. In fact, I had become increasingly critical of her recent performance, though I hadn’t mentioned anything to her about it yet.

That was my first mistake. I should have said something before it got to this point.

So why didn’t I? I’d love to claim that it was because I liked her, and I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Or because I hoped things would get better without my intervention.

And while those things were true, there was a deeper truth: I was afraid of the cringe moment.

Do you know that uneasy moment – right as you’re saying something that feels risky, but before the person responds? That’s the cringe moment.

In other words, I delayed speaking with Shari because I was afraid of how I would feel giving her the negative feedback: awkward, uncomfortable, and maybe even unreasonable.

But I couldn’t avoid it anymore. And because I had waited so long, the conversation promised to be even more awkward and uncomfortable. And now that she was getting a more extreme message with no warning, I would feel – and appear – even more unreasonable. The cringe quotient had gone up.

The day of the difficult conversation, I felt anxious as Shari came into my office. We shared a few pleasantries and then I began. I told her that I knew she wanted to run the leadership program at Ganta. I talked to her about the complexities and challenges of the leadership program and of Ganta in general. And I spoke with her about my frustrations with her recent performance. She asked me questions and I offered explanations and examples.

I did such a good job avoiding the cringe moment that, 30 minutes into the conversation, I still had not clearly communicated to Shari whether I was firing her or hiring her. My build-up was equally appropriate as context for either.

Finally, she did it for me. “So,” she asked, “Are you saying that you don’t want me to lead this program or you do?”

Now that I’m aware of it, I see my own behavior in leaders everywhere. Standing in front of the room, one senior VP slowly constructed a case to close a business.  But he never got to his conclusion as people began debating unimportant details related to his argument before they even knew where he was headed.

In another case, a CEO sat in a meeting of department heads with the intention of telling them she was creating a new position to which they would all report. But she lost them as she spent the first 20 minutes giving context to a decision she hadn’t yet announced. As one person later told me, “All of the context was lost on me as I was trying to guess what she was getting at. It was a complete waste of time.”

The intellectual reason we build a case, or give context, to a difficult decision before announcing it is because we want to convey that the decision is well-thought out, rational, and an inevitable conclusion to the facts. But since the listeners don’t know what decision is being made, they have no context for the context and it all feels meaningless.

The emotional reason we give such long introductions to hard decisions is because we are procrastinating. We’re delaying the cringe feeling.

But this delay is counterproductive; it only stretches and deepens the discomfort of everyone involved.

The solution is simple and straightforward: Lead with the punchline.

What should I have said to Shari? “Thanks for coming in, Shari. I am not going to have you run the leadership program with Ganta, and I’d like you to understand why . . . ”

The senior VP should have started by saying, “I have come to the conclusion that we should close XXX business.”

And the CEO should have opened her meeting with the department heads by declaring “I have created a new Senior Vice President role, reporting to me, who will oversee this part of the business.”

After those openings, people will be interested in hearing the rest. Or,

they may surprise you with instant agreement and there may be little more to discuss.

Here’s what I’ve come to realize: I almost always overestimate how difficult it is for the other person to hear what I have to say. People are resilient. I’m usually more uncomfortable delivering a difficult message than the other person is receiving it.

Next time you have a conversation you’re dreading, lead with the part you’re dreading. Get to the conclusion in the first sentence. Cringe fast and cringe early. It’s a simple move that few of us make consistently because it requires emotional courage. At least the first time.

But the more you do it, the easier and more natural it becomes. Being direct and upfront does not mean being callous or unnecessarily harsh. In fact, it’s the opposite; done with care, being direct is far more considerate.

And it doesn’t just reduce angst, it saves time as well. Shari wasn’t happy about not running the program at Ganta, but she understood why and accepted the decision quickly. Much more quickly than it took me to introduce it to her.

*Names and some details changed.

Source: HBR [Peter Bregman]

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7 Body Language Tricks To Make Anyone Instantly Like You

There's no question that body language is important.

And, according to Leil Lowndes in her book "How To Talk To Anyone," you can capture - and hold - anyone's attention without even saying a word.

We've selected the best body language techniques from the book and shared them below:

The Flooding Smile

"Don't flash an immediate smile when you greet someone," says Lowndes. If you do, it appears as if anyone in your line of sight would receive that same smile.

Instead, pause and look at the other person's face for a second, and then let a "big, warm, responsive smile flood over your face and overflow into your eyes."

Even though the delay is less than a second, it will convince people your smile is sincere and personalized for them. According to Lowndes, a slower smile can add more richness and depth to how people perceive you.

Sticky Eyes

"Pretend your eyes are glued to your conversation partner's with sticky warm taffy," Lowndes advises. Even after they've finished speaking, don't break eye contact. "When you must look away, do it ever so slowly, reluctantly, stretching the gooey taffy until the tiny string finally breaks." This technique will help you appear more intelligent and insightful.

You can also try counting your conversation partner's blinks. In a case study, subjects reported significantly higher feelings of respect and fondness for their colleagues who used this technique.

Epoxy Eyes

In a group of people, you should watch the person you are interested in, no matter who else is talking. If you concentrate on that person even when they are simply listening, you show that you are extremely interested in his or her reactions.

The Big-Baby Pivot

People are very conscious of how you react to them. When you meet someone new, turn your body fully toward them and give them the same, undivided attention you would give a baby. Lowndes says, "Pivoting 100% towards the new person shouts, 'I think you are very, very special.'"

Limit the Fidget

If you want to appear credible, try not to move too much when your conversation really matters. "Do not fidget, twitch, wiggle, squirm, or scratch," Lowndes says. Frequent hand motions near your face can give your listener the feeling that you're lying or anxious. Instead, simply fix a constant gaze on the listener and show them that you're fully concentrated on the matter at hand.

Hang By Your Teeth

This visualization trick will help you look more confident with your posture, which Lowndes describes as "your biggest success barometer." To do this, visualize a leather bit hanging from the frame of every door you walk through. Pretend that you are taking a bite on the dental grip, and let it sweep your cheeks into a smile and lift you up.

"When you hang by your teeth," Lowndes says, "every muscle is stretched into perfect posture position." Your head will be held high, shoulders back, torso out of your hips, and feet weightless.

This trick also works because of the frequency people walk through doorways. If you visualize anything often enough, it becomes a habit. "Habitual good posture is the first mark of a big winner."

Hello, Old Friend

When you first meet someone, imagine they're your old friend. According to Lowndes, this will cause a lot of subconscious reactions in your body, from the softening of your eyebrows to the positioning of your toes.

An added benefit to this technique is that when you act as though you like someone, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy - you might really start to like them. Lowndes says, "What it boils down to is love begets love, like begets like, respect begets respect."

Source: BI

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15 Things You Should Never Say In A Salary Negotiation

You secured the interview, brought your A game, and landed the job. Now comes the hard part: negotiating your salary.

"Salary negotiations are like any other type of negotiations — except the words you use can be extremely powerful, since there is a personal aspect to the discussion," says HR expert Steve Kane. "The negotiation is not over the worth and price of an inanimate object, but rather the value of you to some enterprise."

Here are 15 words and phrases that may hurt more than they'll help in a salary negotiation: 

"I accept [the first offer]."

Remember: This is a negotiation, so be careful not to end it before it has even had a chance to start, says Ryan Kahn, a career coach, founder of The Hired Group, and author of "Hired! The Guide for the Recent Grad."

"I'm looking for X."

Never throw out the first number. "You want to leave room for discussion," says Lynn Taylor, author of " Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job ."

Kahn agrees. "A good negotiation strategy is to let the employer offer the first number. That puts you in a position to see the number they are offering and gives you the opportunity to negotiate it up from there."

"That's all you're offering me?"

Never say this, or anything else that will offend the employer — even if you think the salary they're offering is laughable.

"No."

"In negotiations, you'll have to be willing to be flexible and provide counteroffers when the offer isn't in line with what you are seeking," says Kahn. By saying "no" you could be quickly closing the door on the offer at hand.

"I have other outstanding offers right now that are much more lucrative."

Even if it's true, you shouldn't use "that card" to pressure the employer, Taylor says. "Only discuss the offer at hand."

And if you don't have another offer on the table, you'll definitely want to avoid this tactic. " You could shoot yourself in the foot," Taylor says. "The hiring manager may ask you to elaborate and if you're bluffing, it'll be hard to save face."

"Bottom line"/"This is my final/last offer."

These phrases sounds like threats, and they typically close out the negotiation, says Kane. "If you say any of these things, and the demand is not met by the employer, the negotiation will be over and you'll have to be prepared to walk away."

"I know this may sound a little aggressive, but..."

If your rationale is based on fact, you should never have to preface your request with this type of disclaimer.

"I need..."

You should never say you need X amount more because of expenses or debt. "Don't bring in personal issues; this is about your merit and the job fit," says Taylor.

"I hate to have to ask for this, but..."

True, it might not be the easiest thing to ask for more money — but saying you "hate to have to do it" is a flat out lie. Plus, it's just a really terrible way to preface the negotiation.

"I think..."

Don't use "I think" or "maybe" or any other "uncertain words," says Jessica Miller-Merrell, editor of Blogging4Jobs.com and CEO of Xceptional HR. "Always speak confidently."

"The least I'd be willing to accept is X."

If you tell them the parameters of the lowest offer your willing to take, that could be what you'll get.

"Sorry"

Have confidence in yourself. "If you know your value and what you'll be bringing to the company, there will be no need to apologize for asking for more," Kahn says. 

"Cheap"/"Lousy"

These words are demeaning or disrespectful to the employer, Kane explains. "The employer may decide they don't want you to work there after all because of the lack of respect you show them."

"But I'm worth so much more."

Of course you'll want to mention your value in a salary negotiation — but try to say it in a way that isn't so obnoxious. You never want to come off as arrogant.

"You might not think I'm worth this, but…"

Just don't.

"You want to be direct, polite, and concise in your negotiation to show that you are competent and a valued member of the team," Miller-Merrell concludes.

del.icio.us Tags: salary,office,jobs,negotiation,offer,worth,finance,yahoo,competent,memeber,team,cheap,sorry,company,work,respect,confidence,game,first,employees,employer,terrible,strategy,hire

Source: Yahoo Finance

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Virgo Personality Traits

Virgos are known for their independence, but to an outsider they can appear to be self-centered and selfish. Due to this independent nature, they may seem emotionally unavailable, and will rarely have an open discussion about their feelings (whether it be their hurts, desires or dreams).

We all need each other, and we all like to receive appreciation for a job well done. An individual born as a Virgo is not any different.

A Virgo is a straight shooter, they don’t “sugar coat” something, and they tell it like it is. This behavior may be hurtful to others as it might to too blunt for most to handle, but if you want to know the hard cold truth, it is your Virgo friend that you want to go to.

The mind of a Virgo is very analytical, and this personality trait is perfect for the inside of interrogation rooms, and for uncovering the truth.

Well-known Virgos that you may be familiar with include: Mother Teresa (August 27th), the entertainers: Michael Jackson, Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman, Peter Sellers and the beautiful Sophia Loren. Other individuals that have shared the Virgo personality traits are Queen Elizabeth I, Prince Albert, Henry Ford II and Ivan the Terrible.

Virgos’ strive for perfection in all they do; they do not make snap decisions. They spend the time to gather vital information, and then analyze the pros and cons of the facts on hand before making an informed decision. This personality trait of Virgos could be a hindrance, because they never seem to live up to their unrealistic goal of attaining perfection, and they expect the same type of perfection from those around them, which can cause tension in a personal and/or working relationship.

Virgos are the “work horse” of the horoscope signs; they will work until their bodies collapse from exhaustion. It is recommended to Virgos to delegate chores/work, but a Virgo needs to realize (and accept), that not everyone works with the same speed or dedication that you do.

Many people envy the organizational skills of a Virgo. For example, after a natural disaster, a Virgo will be the first to have the tents pitched, temporary housing organized for the victims, water and food shipments scheduled and roads cleared for emergency vehicles.

With an acute eye of detail, a Virgo may miss the “big picture” in life. Although it is certainly a challenge to take a step back and relax (or decompress from the pressures of the day), it is important to realize that tomorrow is another day. Incorporating time to meditate and/or exercise daily is essential to release stress and worry. Without a “balanced” lifestyle, a Virgo will get irritable, and be buried under unnecessary stress.

Males and females born between August 23rd and September 22nd share the same Virgo personality traits of being charming and carry themselves with class and dignity.

Source: http://xstrology.org/