I do interviews for organizations to help them bring on the right people for the right fit within their organization. I love to change up the questions for every interview to make sure we discover who the person really is.
One of my favorite group of questions deals with having them tell me about the things the appreciated about their favorite boss in their career.
Some people say that they have always had good bosses, but most of them can quickly flag down one boss who left a great impression on them.
They launch into the exact characteristic they like about them. And many times they think of several things they liked.
The leaders of the organization are usually present for these interviews so they can determine whether that person would be a good fit for the organization— and in particular whether they would take well to that person’s method of management.
There is another question I sometimes ask, too. I ask whether they can describe the worst boss they ever had. That is also interesting to listen to, since I will hear some rough experiences they went through.
Of course they don’t want to face these experiences again. As they tell their bad experience it gives the leader a chance to listen to see if they might have a similar way of operating and how that person would react.
Who was your very best boss?
—Did you learn from her/him and do you demonstrate some of that?
—If you had several good bosses, list the qualities on a list in case you’re ever asked about it.
The reason for doing this exercise is to be ready for being asked that question should you ever interview for a new job somewhere.
