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So you are saying that you have never been in management, right?
I think that your type can't seem to fathom the social intricacies that a person deals with when managing people day in and day out. It is easy to condemn what you don't understand.
What you are referring to is workplace drama and at some places there are a some drama queens who act like you must be to worst person in the world for not wanting to hear about your personal life problems, or your kids soccer practice. They are the problem and should not be indulged. If you want to talk about your personal problems all day long find a therapist or give me $90 an hour and I'll do it or just get a very good friend to confide in. Just don't bother me all day with it.
I welcome a little conversation but don't overdo it to the point it becomes distracting or reduces my productivity.
No I am not, and never "struggled" on any job! Sorry.
I have/had co-workers
I have/had friends
I have/had best friends
and I have family...and when it comes to "remembering" stuff...Family comes first, best friends come second...and then there's everyone else. Also, just so you know, I happened to once be in a position where "I" was the ONLY one who ever remembered everything, and everyone...I still have excellent memory, but I am using wisely now. I will not waste my time on people who cannot return the "remembering"! Plus, I really don't know how you have all this free time at work? do you not really work? do you get paid to gossip, and remember someone else's birthdays? I am sorry, but my work ethic tells me that when I am at work, I am doing a job I was hired to do. Gossip, and friendship making was not in the job description. Now if there is someone in that office i have things in common with, then we make a point in going out AFTER work, and have a blast. I have always hosted parties after work, and sometimes on random days off without any particular reason. However, when i went to work, we all acted professional, and refrained from gossiping etc.
You seem to not understand the difference between working in a team, and being social. "Laughing around" while brainstorming ideas for a new Adidas campaign is not being "social", is doing your job, and having a light attitude about it; as in not be stuck on one idea, and one idea only, and mope in some corner about it. Has nothing to do with being "introverted! An "introvert" usually "thinks" before he talks...that is a very important trait, and unfortunately some people are born without it these days.
If you were my manager and wouldn't let me work in lieu of walking around and chatting, i would have reported you to your superiors for not doing YOUR job! Your job is not to make people walk around and make friends at work!
Quote:
Originally Posted by hnsq
And you will always struggle on the job if you actually feel this way.
You can't keep track of ten people? That isn't very many people to keep track of. Write it down if you have to, but actually CARING about people you spend time with every day isn't a bad thing. You also can't seem to grasp the difference between extroversion and being social.
Anti social people are not more productive and do not make better leaders, whether they are introverted or extroverted.
Anti social behavior is behavior that lacks consideration of others, whether intentionally or through negligence. Are you seriously saying that you have never been in a situation where someone at work didn't help you simply because they didn't like you? Are you saying that you never were in a situation where the work of a team suffered because people didn't talk, and didn't want to get along?
Being social in the workplace is essential to a properly functioning team. There are thousands of people who have the skills that you do. Your skills are not unique and are not special. Being able to properly utilize your skills to bring the net gain to the group and company to a higher level is what is important, and that is never done in isolation.
With all due respect, have any of the three of you ever managed another person? If not, please get back to me when you did. Every group I have inherited has a guy who sounds like you three: He doesn't talk to anyone, never does exactly what the group needs him to do (so a supervisor has to micromanage instead), doesn't understand the group priorities (because he refuses to get up, walk around and get to know people. As a result, he/she hurts the group, causes extra work for management, and somehow thinks he/she is the best thing to happen to the company throughout all of it.
Again, if you have ever been in a management position, you would know what I am talking about.
To put in a sports context, hsnq can't differentiate between on-field chemistry and off-field chemistry. Just like it doesn't matter if Kobe and Shaq personally disliked each other as long as their styles of play meshed well enough on the court, it doesn't matter if me and Analyst Mike don't talk about personal stuff as long as we get along as it relates to projects.
What you are referring to is workplace drama and at some places there are a some drama queens who act like you must be to worst person in the world for not wanting to hear about your personal life problems, or your kids soccer practice. They are the problem and should not be indulged. If you want to talk about your personal problems all day long find a therapist or give me $90 an hour and I'll do it or just get a very good friend to confide in. Just don't bother me all day with it.
I welcome a little conversation but don't overdo it to the point it becomes distracting or reduces my productivity.
I don't want workplace drama. I want people to connect and work well together. Asking someone how their kid did at a soccer game is hardly 'workplace drama'. Time again time again, you seem to think that a five minute casual conversation about someone's weekend is 'workplace drama', which is nothing short of anti and a-social thinking.
Quote:
Originally Posted by algia
No I am not, and never "struggled" on any job! Sorry.
I have/had co-workers
I have/had friends
I have/had best friends
and I have family...and when it comes to "remembering" stuff...Family comes first, best friends come second...and then there's everyone else. Also, just so you know, I happened to once be in a position where "I" was the ONLY one who ever remembered everything, and everyone...I still have excellent memory, but I am using wisely now. I will not waste my time on people who cannot return the "remembering"! Plus, I really don't know how you have all this free time at work? do you not really work? do you get paid to gossip, and remember someone else's birthdays? I am sorry, but my work ethic tells me that when I am at work, I am doing a job I was hired to do. Gossip, and friendship making was not in the job description. Now if there is someone in that office i have things in common with, then we make a point in going out AFTER work, and have a blast. I have always hosted parties after work, and sometimes on random days off without any particular reason. However, when i went to work, we all acted professional, and refrained from gossiping etc.
You seem to not understand the difference between working in a team, and being social. "Laughing around" while brainstorming ideas for a new Adidas campaign is not being "social", is doing your job, and having a light attitude about it; as in not be stuck on one idea, and one idea only, and mope in some corner about it. Has nothing to do with being "introverted! An "introvert" usually "thinks" before he talks...that is a very important trait, and unfortunately some people are born without it these days.
If you were my manager and wouldn't let me work in lieu of walking around and chatting, i would have reported you to your superiors for not doing YOUR job! Your job is not to make people walk around and make friends at work!
I misunderstood you. I lumped you in with the Bronco/MSChemist crowd, which this post shows me you are not. I apologize for that. Many people on this forum continually say that they couldn't care less about co-workers, they couldn't care less about eating lunch with other people, that they want to do their job, not talk about anything other than the project at hand, and that is that. Those two (among others) are the people who continually state that they would never go out for drinks with co-workers, who say they would flip off their co-workers the day they quit and things along those lines.
Again, I apologize for lumping you in with them. I agree with you that a manager should absolutely NOT promote screwing around at work instead of working. That being said, Happy hours and team lunches and things of that nature to facilitate trust among co-workers are very important to a team. You seem to understand that, so again, I apologize for lumping you in with those two.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Broncos Quarterback
To put in a sports context, hsnq can't differentiate between on-field chemistry and off-field chemistry. Just like it doesn't matter if Kobe and Shaq personally disliked each other as long as their styles of play meshed well enough on the court, it doesn't matter if me and Analyst Mike don't talk about personal stuff as long as we get along as it relates to projects.
And yes, I am a manager.
And what makes people get along well as it relates to what they produce? I will take baby steps here and hopefully you can follow along. Also, you stated in a thread not too long ago that you only actually work 20-25 hours/week. Do you seriously put in that little effort as a role model for your team?
I don't think Kobe or Shaq were the ones screwing around half the time they were on the court.
And what makes people get along well as it relates to what they produce? I will take baby steps here and hopefully you can follow along. Also, you stated in a thread not too long ago that you only actually work 20-25 hours/week. Do you seriously put in that little effort as a role model for your team?
I have trouble believing you are friendly at work if you have this kind of condescending attitude. Then again, you're a phony so maybe you only pretend to actually care about co-workers. I only work that many hours b/c I am super efficient. I'm thought of highly here and consistently beat the goals set out for me.
Btw, I never said anything to the effect of "I'd flip people the bird when I leave" other than in jest. Like I said a million times before, I actually like most of the people I work with, but save one, I just don't care to spend outside of work time with them.
Condescension and putting words in peoples' mouths - that's some real people skills right here.
"Tell me Your Strength and Weakness" is lazy interviewing. A good interview should be more like a conversation than an interrogation. Unfortunately, for legal reasons, HR and legal departments in large organizations make sure that all the questions are exactly the same and "Tell me Your Strength and Weakness" is an easy one to ask.
I have trouble believing you are friendly at work if you have this kind of condescending attitude. Then again, you're a phony so maybe you only pretend to actually care about co-workers. I only work that many hours b/c I am super efficient. I'm thought of highly here and consistently beat the goals set out for me.
Btw, I never said anything to the effect of "I'd flip people the bird when I leave" other than in jest. Like I said a million times before, I actually like most of the people I work with, but save one, I just don't care to spend outside of work time with them.
Condescension and putting words in peoples' mouths - that's some real people skills right here.
Life isn't black and white. People act differently in different social settings. That is called 'emotional intelligence'. I am good at leading people, and have been trained very well for that role. I am a product of my background and training.
I do care about co-workers. I also know that one woman I work with gets me what I need twice as fast if I spend about an hour per week talking about her dogs. A supplier of ours puts in extra time negotiating with his legal department since I started talking to him about his golf game. I am by nature a very introverted person. My experience and schooling, however, have shown me that being social is a very, very powerful tool that can be used. And again, the world isn't black and white. If that woman's dogs needed surgery, I would stay late and cover for her so that she could attend to them, because I do care about her. That being said, I will use social advantages to grow my team and my company's bottom line when possible. I always as a rule have two people in my company who can be 100% honest with me (read Keith Ferrazzi's book called "Whose Got Your Back", I stole this idea directly from it). They tell me (and have very often) if I am appear to be an a**hole, look phony, etc. and I modify my behavior.
You can go right ahead and call me arrogant, condescending or phony if you want, but everyone at every company I have been with for the last few years is happier, more productive and paid better bonuses because of people like me using social tools like that.
Hnsq, I am with you on this one. The people we work with are, well, people, and we spend a great deal of time together. I'm not one to frequently go out for drinks after work or whatever, but I understand the power of a well bonded team, and that teams become more powerful exponentially with small investments in the human aspect.
This does not equal drama or wasting company time gossiping. It is simple interaction. Personal "soft" skills are important, especially in leadership roles. That is the difference between elevating a team and just slogging away. Productivity can be greatly increased.
Regarding the original question; an interviewer using the strengths & weaknesses question properly probably doesn't care about the specifics of the answer. They are looking for the ability to self-evaluate.
Last edited by stanman13; 02-19-2013 at 05:53 PM..
I had an interview about a week ago with two attorneys and it was like the classic "good cop, bad cop" scenario. The "bad cop" asked me what I thought my weakness was and I thought to myself, "I think I'd better be honest about this one!" and told him "filing." He laughed and said that 80% of the people they interview give that answer, and he jotted it down on a pad where he was taking notes and drew a circle around it. OK, so I went into "explain" mode. Don't know why, but I asked them if I'd shot myself in the foot by giving that answer. I am old enough to know not to answer something like that honestly!!
My strengths: "Give me the job and I'll find out" (each job might be bringing a different (new) strenght I didn't know I had)!
My weaknesses: "Give me the job and I'll find out" (each job might be bringing a different (new) weakness I didn't know I had)!
......an example would be how I am dealing with new annoying co workers...or those who have flowers sent at work.....or those who smoke instead of working....or those wasting their day on Facebook and I am working for them too on less money.....and the list goes on, and on, and on.....
Maybe I had a strength that doesn't apply?!
These are really stupid questions...
I worked at a VERY large insurance company for five years. There was a designated smoking area outside. I don't smoke, but many of my co-workers did and would take a half-dozen "smoke breaks" a day, in addition to their lunch break. However, NOTHING was ever said to them about the extra time spent away from their desks, which usually totaled at least an hour a day, but if I spent longer than 5 minutes in the ladies room, I was interrogated like a common criminal!
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I have always hosted parties after work, and sometimes on random days off without any particular reason. However, when i went to work, we all acted professional, and refrained from gossiping etc.
