Month: March 2019

Self-directed – how do I interview for that?

In my previous blog I offered suggestions for how individuals could grow in their ability to be self-directed. Being intentional about growing such skills will increase your success as a remote worker, and set you up to answer interview questions related to that important competency. What kind of questions can an interviewer ask if they want to discern the candidates proficiency in being self-directed or self-motivated? Below are some suggestions to get you started, but first, a definition. Because it is important to use the same language when discussing competencies, clarity needs to be provided for this specific context.

Self-directed involves taking responsibility for personal decisions and effectively organizing activities based on intrinsic motivation without pressure from others. Without being self-directed, remote workers stated they might not have what it takes to organize multiple contracts in order to achieve the deliverables identified.

True, this is a great competency to possess when working in a colocated setting, but our research showed that a much higher level of proficiency is required when working in a remote or virtual setting. Let’s not forget that working remote refers to individuals who are not required to physically show up at a specific location on a regular basis.

Back to the interview, the focus is to ask behavioural questions to see how a candidate handled him or herself in the past. While it is always desirable, it is not necessary that they have previously worked remote, but it is important that they can demonstrate transferable skills that will contribute to their future success. While interviewing, don’t hesitate to dig deep with follow-up questions. Sometime the secondary questions are the ones that get you to the most vital information; listening carefully to the answers provided can’t be overstated.

As noted in previous blogs, answers should provide insight into the following:
• Situation/Problem faced
• Action (what they did, how they did it)
• Result/outcome (what was the outcome of the action taken, and was it positive or negative)

Question 1

  • Tell me about a time when a goal was difficult to achieve because of the many barriers before you. How did you address the barriers? (You are looking for answers that will help you discern not only the ability to identify barriers, but will describe the action taken to either overcome, or remove the barriers. Remote work can present more barriers that colocated settings. These barriers are by no means insurmountable, however, a self-directed person will not be put off by them, but will rise to the occasion and eagerly find workable solutions.)

Question 2

  • Tell me about a time when you took the initiate to collaborate with others in order to more effectively accomplish a task. (Listen for an indication that they believe collaboration is important, why it is important, and how working with others can aid in the effective completion of a task. As well, listen for how they chose who to collaborate with. In remote settings, it takes more determination and intentionality to reach out and build a collaborative network.)

Question 3

  • Describe a time when you lacked the drive to accomplish a task. How did you work through the apathy? (Listen for the humility of acknowledging they are not perfect…it’s rare to find someone who has never lacked drive. The important aspect of this question is to learn how they dealt with the inevitable lack of drive, accomplished the task, and moved on. Once more, in a remote setting there may be more distractions that pull the individual away from a task at hand…especially if it’s a task they don’t particularly enjoy.)

Question 4

  • Describe a time when you lacked the necessary information to accomplish a task. What sources did you use to provide the missing information or learn a new skill? (This question is driving at the importance of knowing how to access learning in order to get the job done. Some people simply rely on the person in the next cubicle to provide the answer; however, when working remote, there is no one in the next office. How resourceful are they with self-directed learning?)

Question 5

  • What process do you have to ensure all commitments and deadlines are met? How do you prioritize deliverables and responsibilities? (Self-directed people are pro-active. This question will give you insight into how the individual gets ahead of the game by having process and practices in place to deal with multiple deadlines and deliverables. In remote settings, performance is measured by deliverables, not how many hours a person sits at a desk in any given day…that’s why this is such a key element.)

Question 6

  • What book has had the most impact on your work habits? Describe your learnings. (The books people read tell you a lot about a person. In previous blogs the importance of communication is outlined; reading books is a powerful way to grow this skill. Listening to podcasts for learning is wonderful, but doesn’t contribute to growth in written communication. This question also provides the opportunity to learn if the candidate reads, AND what they choose to read and why…the ‘why’ being key. I have found that reading fiction can contribute to my creativity…many problems can be solved more effectively by putting them aside and focusing on something totally unrelated.)

These suggestions should provide a foundation for developing your interview questions. My next blog will address the topic of how remote workers can grow their trustworthiness, followed by another set of interview questions on the same competency.

Till next time…I would love your feedback and suggestion for further blog topics.

Self-directed: just do it!

Growing competency as a remote worker #2: self-directed/self-motivated

As we move through the list of ‘should have’ competencies for success as a remote worker, the second most crucial competency, as identified by remote workers, speaks to being self–directed and motivated. What does this mean?

For the purposes of this application, self-directed speaks to a state of ‘being’, while the similar, often-misused self-motivated speaks more about ‘doing’.

The dictionary explains self-directed from the perspective of having an inner drive or ability to make one’s own decisions, and organizing one’s own work rather than being told what to do by others. Other references include the idea of regulating and adapting behaviour based on needs and demands in order to achieve whatever goals or achievements have been identified.

Contrast that to ‘self-motivation’, which draws attention to the ability to follow through and carry on in the direction one needs to go, and keep going. This forward motion happens regardless of what external circumstances may be present and working against whatever momentum one might have! It truly is driven by an audience of one, the individual.

There is much written about both these areas, however, I would offer that there are three parts to this being and doing that require intentionality:
1. Searching…What specifically do I need to know to do this or accomplish that? Where do I find the answer/information? Who/what can help me access the information/skill I need?
2. Learning…following through with gathering the information needed (read a book, take a course, get a mentor, join a meet-up…)
3. Doing…once I learn the what and the how…do it, use and apply the learning.
How are you doing with self-direction and motivation? Have you recently taken on the responsibility to search for the solution to something? Did you take action accordingly? If not, what’s holding you back?

When I conduct workshops, I often have participants set immediate action plans to implement their learning by engaging in a simple exercise…you may find it helpful.
For the next two weeks, in order to grow in self-direction and motivation, consider what you should:
1. Stop doing (what’s keeping you from being self directed/ and motivated?)
2. Start doing (what actions or thoughts do you need to start doing to be more self-directed/ motivated?)
3. Continue doing (what’s working that you want to keep as part of your practice?)

Perhaps you’ve heard this proverb, every time you say “yes” to something, you’re saying “no” to something else. Consider this, the reason you may be struggling with self-direction/motivation could be because of some other commitment that is superfluous in your life at the moment. Just a thought…

In a previous blog I offered a suggestion regarding journaling to grow your written communication skills. Why not use this growth area as a topic to journal about and keep track of how much stronger you are becoming with self-direction and motivation?

One final note. Perhaps the greatest compulsion I know to being self-directed and motivated, is to be clear on my ‘why’. (Simon Sinek’s Start with Why is a must read on this topic.) When I understand why I’m doing something, the what and how become so much clearer and natural.

Ok, one more final thought. Sometimes we over think actually doing something. My son, Nathan, would be the first to admit that sometimes, the block of doing is as simple as stopping the analysis paralysis and, as the famous swoosh suggests, “just do it!”

(Watch for a follow-up blog regarding self-directed/motivated questions to ask when hiring for remote workers)

 

The start of a new day in Salou, Spain