Distinguishing Yourself
by Ron Venckus

Conceptual and Innovative Thinking

In the Harvard Business Review (Nov.2005) article "Hiring for Smarts," Jason Menkes states,

"It’s all very well to be kind, compassionate and charismatic. But the most crucial predictor of executive success has nothing to do with personality or style. It’s brain power."

Let me suggest this: if during an interview, you show what you use to get work done, you are demonstrating personality and style. What if you went one step further and were able to describe your cognitive processes (how you have applied your mind to the issue at hand)? Would you not be in a superior position by calling attention to your corporate effectiveness? Critical thinking is a critical skill.

Conceptual/ Strategic Thinking:
Conceptual/ strategic thinking is defined as the ability to recognize patterns or connections between themes and/ or issues, in situations which may not be related, along with anticipating potential problems.

Innovative/ analytical thinking:
Innovation/ analytical thinking is defined as cutting through faulty beliefs and misconceptions to make reflective rather than reflexive decisions.

Take a look back at all of the problems and challenges you have faced at work, and ask yourself the following: When did you successfully

• identify a problem in terms of themes and issues,
• integrate various small pieces of information,
• make sense out of these pieces of information and their impact on the company,
• develop plans for integrating diverse pieces of information,
• create a better understanding of the problem by identifying inferences, and
• apply logic to the situation?

The goal is to distinguish yourself during an interview, so when asked to discuss a problem you have solved (or a new idea you have developed), consider constructing an answer which would bring the competency, your skill, to life. This can be done by showcasing

• what you do to gain an understanding of the problem or challenge,
• your ability to ask the open-ended questions that provide you with reasoned answers,
• how you utilize staff and other resources,
• how you make sense of small pieces of information, and
• how you demonstrate the impact of a plan of action on the organization.

In the Stewart, Cooper, & Coon transition program, the format for interview responses is referred to as SHARE. The "H" or Hindrance step, is a good place to showcase a well-crafted, focused comment about how you begin to analyze a problem.

About the author: Ron Venckus