How to Find Out If the Company's Culture Is Right for You

You're looking for your next career opportunity and have made a list of the "must haves". One thing you know for sure is that you don't want to work in a bureaucratic or political environment. Been there and done that.

The problem is how are you going to find out in an interview whether the culture is right for you or not?



One of the mistakes candidates often make is to ask general questions about the company, job, people, etc. They may ask, "Is this a bureaucratic environment?" and get relieved to hear that it's not. Only to take the job and find out it is! They asked the question but wonder why they didn't get the real picture.

The key is to ask specific questions that will give you the details. Asking broad questions leads to subjective answers.

Here's what to ask to find out if the culture is right for you:

What kinds of people (personality traits, working style, etc.) typically succeed at your company? Listen carefully to the responses that are given. If the person tells you that people who "burn the midnight oil" are successful, or that they like to joke that "if you don't come in on Saturday, don't bother coming in on Monday", you'll know that this environment is one in which putting in a lot of hours is the norm and expected. If you are trying to find balance in your life between work and personal, this should be a red flag for you. Some organizations value people who win at all costs. As long as the deal gets done, they don't care about the process or if people were alienated along the way. Ideally, the types of people who succeed are those who develop their teams, deliver results and work collaboratively.

Which department is the most influential? This will tell you what drives the company. If you're in marketing and you hear engineering, you might find this a frustrating environment. Dig a little deeper and ask from what department the CEO came from. If s/he came from the finance department, that may be a clue as to where the emphasis is for the company. Similarly, if the CEO came from marketing or manufacturing, that may be an indication of the perspective they would take on growing the company.

How are conflicts resolved? This is a very important question to ask, because it gets at the heart of how a company runs and the culture it fosters. Preferably things are resolved between parties and then escalated if needed. If, however, the response you are given indicates that there are ongoing powers struggles between departments and that the battles are fought with the intent of determining which department is stronger (versus doing what is best for the company), be aware that you may be stepping into a volatile environment. And if you don't like frequent conflict, better stay away from this company!

How are ideas presented? Companies are always looking for good ideas. Is there a forum for presenting ideas, or is it less formal? How do ideas from all levels get funneled through the organization? In some companies formal written recommendations/ideas are channeled up through the organization, with modifications and changes being made by various people in senior management as the document works its way to the CEO. Ultimately, that recommendation may be presented to the CEO by the EVP, even though the idea came from a lower level management (or non-management) person. In other companies, an idea may be presented directly to the CEO from whoever came up with the idea, and it may be presented verbally without all the analysis having been completed. Which format are you more comfortable with?

How are decisions made? Some companies are command and control. All decisions are made at the top and get pushed down to middle management. Other companies are consensus driven, which means decisions can drag out in the process of getting everyone to agree. Other companies empower people at multiple levels to make decisions that affect their area. During the course of your interviews, ferret out how decisions are made and ask about how the smaller decisions are made versus the larger, more strategic ones. This will be an indication of whether top management sets the strategy and then lets lower level management make the tactical decisions or whether all decisions are made through top management. Be honest with yourself about the type and style of company management you are most comfortable working in.

How does the company deal with people who are not performing? Do they try to work with that individual to help them raise their performance to an acceptable level or do they very quickly attempt to weed out the underperformers and transition them out of the company? Or, do they try and determine what skills the person has and then find another place for them in the organization? This is an important element of a company's culture, as it gets at the heart of how they view the individual and the success of the company. Are you the type of manager who wants to work with an underperforming employee and try to bring them "up to speed" or are you more comfortable cutting your losses more quickly and transitioning that person out of the company? How your interviewers respond to this question will provide excellent insight into the culture of the company.


As recruiters, we know that the cultural fit for a candidate with a company is critical to long term success. Candidates and companies owe it to themselves to do their due diligence on the issue of cultural compatibility during the interview process. It's worth the effort!

Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success

They Took My Ideas and Gave Somebody Else the Job

We met over coffee with a Director of Sales who told us of a recent experience he had interviewing at a company. He went through several rounds of interviews and by all accounts he was headed for an offer. The recruiter said, “Things are looking good” and told him he should keep selling.

Every time this Director went back for another round, the company kept pumping him for more ideas, which he freely gave. After the fourth round in a protracted process, he was surprised to learn that they had implemented two of his ideas. When the CEO said to him, “You’re going to make me a lot of money,” the Director of Sales thought an offer was just around the corner. Unfortunately, the offer went to another candidate.


This Director of Sales learned the painful lesson of giving away too much for free.



We heard a similar story about an advertising agency which was approached by a potential client. The potential client was a small company and wanted the agency to develop some creative, free of charge, before they made an agency selection. The head of the agency told the company president that he was happy to provide broadcast and print samples from current clients, but wasn’t going to develop new creative and give away free what they sell. The agency got the account.

We’re not saying that you should never give out ideas, especially when you’re interviewing. It’s normal in the course of an interview to be asked your ideas on how to solve a problem the company is facing. It gives a prospective employer a window into how you think and this is an important element in their hiring decision. However, it’s better to give them a “taste” rather than “serving up the whole meal.” You need to balance out the degree to which you give away your ideas. Otherwise, you’re in the role of an unpaid consultant.

So what do you do when you’re faced with this dilemma? When you feel you’ve reached that level of discomfort where giving away more ideas without an offer just doesn’t feel right?

A very powerful way to demonstrate your strategic thinking is to draw on your past successes. For example, you can relate the story of how you analyzed some research and came up with an epiphany that helped grow the business. Past performances are the best predictor of future results, which is why it’s important to highlight your accomplishments. Building the bridge between your past achievements and the challenges the prospective employer is facing is a great way to paint a picture of what kind of impact you could make at their company.

The Director of Sales we mentioned above is scheduled to interview at another company. He is going to be very cautious and give ideas out on a more strategic basis. He learned from the previous experience. He no longer believes that, “They are using my ideas so they must love me.” He now realizes, “If they are using my ideas they may not need me.” This is not always the case, but it certainly can be.

Use your best judgment when you’re asked for advice or recommendations during an interview. Give them just enough so they’ll want more – on a permanent basis.

Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success

The Best Answers to: How Do You Manage?

Companies are always looking for people who have the potential to advance within the organization. One of the keys to progressing is being an effective manager.

When we’re interviewing candidates we spend a significant amount of time on the management portion, probing several areas. The answers we get vary depending on someone’s management style, but below are some we thought were particularly good. As you read through these, think about your management style and how it applies to each one of these questions.


Describe Your Management Philosophy – What we’re trying to learn here is the person’s view on how a team should be managed. This is their overarching philosophy. A VP at Yahoo! had a great answer to this question. She said, “I automatically believe in my people. If there’s a problem, I look to myself first.” A CEO of a start-up gave this answer, “I like to eliminate fear so that people try new things and are not afraid to make mistakes. But, they shouldn’t make the same mistake twice.”

What’s Your Management Style? – One VP articulated what we like to hear: “I set out a clear vision, remove any obstacles they can’t remove and then ‘turn them loose’ to accomplish their goals.” Other things we look for are: giving them stretch assignments and credit (especially publically) , being accessible, creating a collaborative environment while holding people accountable, and mentoring.

How Do You Motivate People? The best managers empower their teams so that everyone “owns” a part of the business. It’s a big motivator when people see how their part contributes to the overall success of the brand, division and company. Knowing that their efforts matter on a larger scale, incents them to do their best work. Another way to motivate individuals on your team is to find out what makes them tick. One CFO said, “I determine what motivates each individual and then develop a plan that addresses their needs.” Rewards are also great motivators. Make it a point to celebrate the individual wins, but also focus on the success of the group.

What Do You Look for When You Hire? - Beyond the expected skill set, we like managers who look for passion, creativity, leadership potential and problem solvers. One senior executive said, “I look for people who complement my skills. Are enthusiastic, ingenious, passionate, and have a sense of humor. It’s hard to work with people who don’t have one.”

Give an Example of How You Turned a Problem Employee Around – What we look for is how patient the manager is and how dedicated they are to helping the person succeed. The best answers are ones where the manager demonstrates how they effectively mentored someone to improve their performance. Someone gave a great answer to this question and then added, “When I can’t turn someone around, I look to see if there’s another role within the organization which might better leverage their skills.”

Tell Us About Someone You Developed Who Got Promoted - Developing your team is key to your success, the individuals and the company’s. Good answers include assigning projects that mesh with the needs of the individual and those of the company; increasing someone’s visibility to senior management, either by talking them up or having them attend an executive meeting; and appropriately delegating so they get exposure to new things. Ideally, you were the architect of their development plan and their mentor. The combination of these resulted in their promotion. A sales manager told us, “I take a real interest in their career goals and work with them to achieve what they want.”

Give an Example of How You Inspired Others – A President of a Cosmetic company put it best, “I inspire by having a collaborative style. Getting everyone to believe in the mission. Listening to my team and soliciting their ideas. I firmly believe that the best ideas can come from anywhere.” Another executive indicated that one of his keys to success was getting people to see that statements about “what can’t be done” were really just highlighting areas of opportunity.

People who have “cracked the code” on managing have propelled their careers forward. It’s a basic fact that you can’t get to the top without the success of the people who work for you. Rate yourself on the above areas and if you fall short, take a page from what these successful executives are doing.

Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success

How to Interview Well and Get That Job

Obviously the marketplace is tight, which is why it's even more important to say and do the right things in an interview. Companies are more selective now and less likely to overlook a stumble.

If you're taking the time to interview, make a good impression. Even if this may not be the job for you, a connection can be made during the interview that will serve you at some point in the future.

Here's how to have a great interview:




Tell the Story Well - People love a good story. When discussing your accomplishments make sure your story has a beginning, middle and end. What was the business problem, how did you solve it and what were the results? For example, if you're explaining how you grew a business, start with the situation. Describe the market conditions at the time, what your competitors were doing and what resources you had. Then talk about the epiphany that led to the solution and how you executed on that. Finally, discuss the results. A cautionary note: watch the "I's" when telling the story. No one succeeds alone. Most companies are looking for people who are successful in a collaborative environment.

Focus On Results, Results, Results - Companies are interested in results. Candidates sometimes shoot themselves in the foot by discussing their philosophy of growing a business, rather than focusing on the far more powerful examples of how they have successfully done it in the past. Results should be quantified. Rather than saying the business grew, give specifics around sales volume, market share, distribution gains, etc. Don't give an example unless you were still at the company when the results came in. It's a mistake to launch into a story only to say at the end, "I wasn't there when the product hit the marketplace."

Make Your Personal Story Interesting - Interviewers often want to know who you are as a person, rather than just your professional experience. We're always amazed that people get tongued tied when we asked them about themselves. This should be a fairly easy question to handle. The best way to frame this answer is to start with where you're from, why you chose to go to a particular school and what got you interested in your field. In addition you can always mention your interests. If you say you like to read, be prepared to discuss what you enjoy reading and why.

Get Your Top Three In - There are probably three things you do very well. Make it a point to weave these skills in during the course of your answers. Rather than just listing them, have a sentence or two that demonstrates your expertise.

Know the Company - Know the company you are interviewing with and what issues they are facing. Make the connection between your experience and their business problems. The more relevant your experience is, the better. If you are changing industries, you will have to demonstrate how your skills are transferable. Also discuss how this opportunity aligns with your future career goals.

Be Enthusiastic - Don't hold back your enthusiasm for round two because there may not be one. This is one of the most common mistakes that candidates make, believing that they are "buying" as well as "selling" and forgetting that their focus should be on "selling". Interviewing is a lot like dating. You want to feel like that person is interested in you. The more you can convey your enthusiasm (leaning forward, smiling, nodding) for the company and the opportunity, the greater the likelihood you'll be asked back.

Be a Good Listener - Listening is crucial to a good interview. Another common mistake candidates make is to go into an interview determined to make a point. Answering what is being asked is the best way to be relevant. Don't give a preamble to the answer, "Before I answer that let me tell you this." Importantly, when the interviewer has finished and thanks you for coming in, recognize that the interview is over. Don't prolong the interview by giving your final thoughts or continuing to sell.


Think of an interview as a focused conversation in which you have one hour to build rapport. Use your time wisely and leave them with a good impression. Interviewing is a lot like dating. If things don't click, you won't be asked on a second date.

Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success

What All Good Mentors Do

Most people we know have benefited from having a great mentor, someone who has helped accelerate their career. Because of that, they’re now in a position to be a mentor themselves. While companies encourage mentoring there’s often little guidance on how to do it well.

Whether you are a novice or an experienced mentor, here is what all good mentors do:



Set Goals – It’s important to set expectations around the relationship. Be clear as to what you can do for them and what you expect from them. They should have a defined goal that includes what they would like to accomplish in what time frame and a plan to make that happen. For example, a finance manager at a Fortune 500 company wanted to learn how to work better cross functionally. Her mentor gave her a number of suggestions on how she could achieve this. In addition, she made it a point to include her in a meeting with multiple departments so the finance manager could learn who the players were and what their perspectives were. The mentor made sure her goal tied to a long-term one. In this case, the finance manager wanted to be a general manager someday. Working cross functionally was key to achieving that goal.

Have an Honest Interest in the Person - Sometimes people are arbitrarily assigned to a mentor. If the match isn’t a good one, lack of chemistry, etc, asked to be reassigned to a different mentee. It’s important to have a connection and care about your mentee’s success.

Be Accessible – In addition to your formal meetings, let your mentee know that you are available between meetings, especially if they need your assistance in a pinch. This could be a quick call or email. The time you’ll be expending is minimal but the impact could be significant.

Actively Look for Ways to Help Them – Maybe they would benefit from listening in on a call or meeting you’ll be attending. The relationship you have is a two-way street. Don’t wait for them to come to you. If you are aware of resources (e.g., seminars, training, etc.) that could be of help, be proactive and let them know about it.

Talk Them Up – When you’re in meetings, let your peers and boss know how well your mentee is doing. That will help their visibility and ultimately their career. It will also help to increase their self-confidence knowing that key people in the organization are aware of their contributions.

Mentoring is a great way to give back and can make all the difference in someone’s career. Useful advice at the right moment can provide the spark to help someone through a rough patch or deal with a major project which has key implications for a potential promotion. The wonderful aspect of mentoring is that it is the gift that rewards the giver as well as the receiver.


Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success

How to Get Your Twenty Something Off the Couch!

Your twenty something graduated two months ago and…...now what?

The last thing you want is your twenty something using their lack of experience and the slow job market as an excuse to lay on the couch watching reality TV.



Having coached these Gen-Y's, we know the first thing to do is tap into what motivates them. If they majored in business, what did they picture themselves doing? Did they see themselves traveling the globe solving major business problems? Great! Use that as fuel to get them moving.

After their initial excitement, they'll come up with a bunch of excuses why they should delay getting started. We've heard it all and wanted to pass along ammunition, you can use to launch them off the couch and into a job.

I Don't Have Any Real Experience. Who's Going to Hire Me? -- Temporary agencies, for starters. Companies like Office Team have plenty of administrative positions which are perfect for graduates. Most temporary agencies do "temp to perm", which is an excellent way to see if they like the job before making a long-term commitment. Outside of agencies, there are thousands of companies, large and small, that need help at the entry level.

There's Too Much Competition Now. I'll Wait Until Fall -- Even though there are thousands of graduates looking for jobs, a job search could take a few months, and there'll always be competition. The sooner your twenty something gets started, the better.

I Don't Know How to Write a resume -- The important thing about a resume is that it is their chance to highlight the great things they have done. And when they write their resume, they should be sure to separate the position responsibilities from their actual accomplishments. Responsibilities are the things they were in charge of (e.g., filing) and accomplishments are what they achieved (e.g., established a new filing system). We were coaching one student who said, "All I did was answer the phones." We probed and found out that in answering those calls he was also scheduling shipment dates for vendors, which we added to his resume.

The resume should also include school activities that will highlight their leadership and organizational skills. If they were on the school newspaper, worked at fundraiser for the school or a particular club within the school, those should go on their resume. If relevant, have a section for awards and scholarships. Finally, have a section for interests. This is NOT where they should put "play video games all day" unless s/he wants to work at a gaming company. The interests should be aligned with their objective. They can use this sample resume to crank one out.

I Don't Know How to Look for a Job -- The first step (they usually like this one) is to list all the companies they would love to work for. Apple and Google usually make the list. Then, they should approach each one, even if there are no jobs posted that they qualify for. A lot of great positions are never listed on a company's website. Here's more on that: Finally a plan to get a job.

I Don't Know How to Interview -- At this early stage in their career, you wouldn't expect them to know what to say and do in an interview. Interviewers know this and will forgive most faux pas, except answering a cell phone during an interview. And yes, we've had that happen to us, which prompted us to put together this list: Ditch the Cell Phone and Other Essential Interview Tips

Your twenty something is on the verge of launching their career. The inertia that is created by staying on the couch is a powerful force to overcome, but it must be overcome if they are to successfully begin their career. Creating a plan of action for finding a great job and then putting that plan into action will ensure that your twenty something will be among those smart college graduates who have learned how to make the difficult transition from academics to the real world.

Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success

Employer vs. Employee Mentality. Which Do You Have?

We were coaching a woman (we'll call her Donna) who is an associate partner in a law firm. Donna has been with the firm for 10 years and was promoted to limited partner 18 months ago. The managing director of the firm expected to see a change in how Donna approached the business - after all, she was now a limited partner. Her next career step would be a full fledged equity partner, assuming she was invited to join at that level. The managing director was starting to have doubts about her future with the firm. He had spoken to Donna about the expectations he had of partners and explained he wanted her to act more like an employer than an employee. It had been a year and a half, and Donna wasn't getting it.

When we sat down with Donna she had a very definite goal - to be an equity partner. Since she was highly motivated we asked her what was preventing her from making that transition to more of an employer mentality. She said "I'm not sure how to do that". She said she knew that it meant thinking more like a boss but what did that really entail?

It might seem fairly straightforward but there are thing that are indicative of an employer mentality.


Here's what companies are looking for:


What do we need to do to grow the business? This is the type of thinking that senior management is looking for, and you don't necessarily have to have all the answers. Just by raising the questions, "How do we increase our business in this vertical?" or "How do we penetrate new markets?" will demonstrate that you are thinking about the big picture. Once that's on the table, a plan can be put in place to address it.

Problems then Solutions - Every company has their share of problems. Whether it's growing their brand, training their people or streamlining processes, there are usually some areas that need to be strengthened. What employees typically do is complain about things without offering potential solutions. Thinking more like an employer means having some idea of how you would approach the problem. Even if your solution isn't the one that's embraced, it's important to have some ideas of how to solve it.

Mentoring - Help people grow in their careers, even those who aren't your direct reports. If someone has a skill deficiency, help them turn that around. Let them know you care. You can send them to training or put them on a project that will developed that skill, or work with them side by side until they've improved. Beyond helping them with a specific skill, position them for advancement. Delegate to them or have them sit in on important meetings. Investing in your company's talent will benefit everyone and elevate you in senior management's eyes.

Bigger Presence - Developing your own brand and having a bigger presence will benefit you and your organization. You can raise the profile of the firm and attract new clients by joining a board, writing articles (traditional or blogs), speaking on panels or attending and hosting networking events. To be pegged as someone who is always looking for ways to strengthen the business by increasing the company's reputation as well as your own, will mark you as someone ticketed for bigger things.

Having a POV in Management Meetings - The management meeting exist to highlight and solve problems and explore opportunities. Bringing managers together and having all that brain power in the same room doesn't do any good if no one contributes. You're in the room because they want to know your point of view. It doesn't mean that they'll agree with it, but as a manager, they certainly expect you to have something substantive to say. Most meetings have agendas that are circulated beforehand. Take a close look at all the items on the agenda and come up with one or two key points about each one.


Importantly, you don't need to be in management to have an employer mentality. In fact, that's how most people rise to senior management. They take ownership in the business and look for ways to help strengthen the company. This thinking can be done at all levels and is appreciated even at the most basic levels. Whether you are already part of senior management, transitioning to senior management or just starting your career, it's important to start thinking more like your employer. Having an employer mentality will shift you to the major leagues.

Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success

5 Ways to Boost Your Career

Ever notice how some people just seem to always get the timely promotions and the plum assignments, while others don't? People who succeed in their careers typically focus on a few areas that get noticed by senior management and these pave the way for frequent raises and promotions.

So what are the "career boosters"?


Delivering Consistent Results: Always strive for significant results in every position you are in. The more you are able to demonstrate measurable results, the more you will enhance your ability to be noticed and in line for a promotion. As recruiters, we are always looking for people who have been able to generate results in whatever position they have been assigned. And the sooner they make the impact, the better. An SVP of Marketing at a Fortune 500 company figured out a way to get an early "win" when she started out at the company. That made her their golden girl because she started in the position so strongly.

Making Smart Decisions: Business people who know how to make smart, well thought out decisions are valued in any organization. Senior management loves to see someone who can walk into their office or a major meeting and present a solid rationale for doing something. Doing the right thing at the right time is what makes for leaders.

Providing Strong Leadership: Every organization values a leader who can set a vision, a strategy and rally people around wanting to accomplish that goal. A COO at a leading company attributes his rapid rise through the ranks to his ability to lead people. His career skyrocketed at Universal Studios not just because he was an expert is certain areas, but because he knew how to motivate people to deliver results. Because of that, even though he was a marketer, he was put in charge of operations, sales and IT. He later left Universal to become a COO.

Working Collaboratively: This is the yin and the yang. Take a stand on your position while also considering other people's points of view. It's important for people to feel heard and usually collaboration results in the best decision. So much of what you do is done through other people that you want to keep them motivated to work on your projects.

Prudent risk-taking: Organizations move ahead by taking prudent risks. Any new product introduction or change in corporate strategy involves some risk. To advance your career, you need to be seen as someone who knows what needs to be done to take the organization to the next level and can assess the risks involved to all stakeholders affected by the decision. Careful analysis of the probability of gain and the severity of loss - including real attention to the human cost - is key.


If you can consistently incorporate these elements into how you approach each position, you will distinguish yourself from the competition and provide a boost to your career.

Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success

Anderson Cooper - Innovating All the Way to Success

Being determined, creative and thinking outside-the-box are all ways to get ahead, especially in the face of adversity. There isn't a successful person out there who hasn't come up against seemingly insurmountable odds. It's not the obstacle but how we approach it that matters.

Anderson Cooper is a perfect example of how someone went from being stymied in his career to the top of his field.


After graduating from college, Anderson knew he wanted to be a news correspondent and tried to get a job - any job- in a news station. After being turned down by a number of stations, he was finally offered an entry level job as a fact-checker at Channel One, a station broadcasting news to high schools. After several months on the job, Anderson became bored and realized the only way he was going to get to report on the front lines was to take charge of his future. He quit the station, borrowed a friend's video camera and, armed with a fake press pass, left for Thailand. He shot footage at the Thai-Burmese border of the Burmese refugees who were planning a government coup. Anderson's gamble paid off when he was able to sell the video to Channel One. Eighteen months later his career was launched when Channel One, where he had recently been a junior fact checker, now hired him as a correspondent.

After two years of compelling coverage in political hot spots like Bosnia, Croatia and Rwanda, Anderson got an offer to join ABC News, which just three years earlier had turned him down for a job as a receptionist! His initiative was paying off in a big way.

In December 2001, after the 9/11 attacks, Anderson accepted a position on CNN's program, "American Morning". In March 2003, after the start of the war in Iraq, Anderson moved to prime time, hosting his own program Anderson Cooper 360.

While Anderson had reached a certain level of success, first in broadcasting and then anchoring, he really made his mark during his compelling coverage of Hurricane Katrina.

Because of the weather conditions, there was no TelePrompTer, no script to support his on-camera reporting. "I had to be quick on my feet, ready for anything." Anderson's interview with Louisiana State Senator Landrieu got national attention because of his emotionally charged questions. While Senator Landrieu went on and on thanking President Bush and senior ranking senators, Anderson grew impatient. "Excuse me Senator, sorry for interrupting. For the last four days I've been seeing dead bodies in the streets. And to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other .... There's a woman's body that's been on the street for 48 hours and there's not enough facilities to take her up. Do you get the anger that is out here?"

It was that kind of impassioned reporting that put Anderson on the map. Whether he was on the front lines of a war zone or a natural disaster, Anderson got emotionally involved in the stories he was covering and would occasionally get choked up during a broadcast. This ability to freely show his emotions while reporting the facts became a trademark of Anderson and clearly differentiated him from his broadcasting colleagues.

Broadcasting & Cable magazine wrote: "In its aftermath, Hurricane Katrina served to usher in a new breed of emo-journalism, skyrocketing CNN's Anderson Cooper to superstardom as CNN's golden boy and a darling of the media circles because of his impassioned coverage of the storm."

Anderson Cooper's success can be traced back to his unconventional approach and to trusting his instincts. The same could be said for his reporting style. He asked the questions his viewers wanted answered and wasn't afraid to show his emotions.

"I think you have to be yourself, and you have to be real and you have to admit what you don't know."
If you're feeling "boxed-in" and stuck, think of an innovative way to move your career forward. Importantly, learn from what Anderson did when it came to his viewers - he focused on what was most important to them. Think of your constituents and how you can address their most critical needs.

Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success

Delegation the Right Way

It's no secret that people who rise within organizations do so by effectively delegating. If you don't know how to effectively delegate your career will hit a wall. Delegation not only gives your team the opportunity to grow, it also frees you up to work on more strategic things.

Managers are often reluctant to delegate because they believe they're the only ones who can do it right. This attitude becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, because team members never get the opportunity to work on "stretch" assignments and therefore aren't able to grow.

"Your performance bar is set as high as your weakest link," says Donna Genett, Ph.D., organization development consultant and author of "If You Want it Done Right, You Don't Have to Do It Yourself!" According to Genett, delegation applies to many more situations than most people recognize. Whenever anyone asks anyone to do or change anything, that is delegation.



Here are a couple of Genett's keys to successful delegation:



Don't Over-delegate to Your Best People. Most managers delegate too much to their "go-to" people, which leads to burnout. Conversely, the "non-go-to" people are under-utilized and not adding value. It is critical to work with these lower performers in order to raise expectation levels or, if this isn't possible, to make other decisions about their future employment. If we don't manage people to our expectations, they will manage us to theirs.

Delegate, Don't Dump! Too often, managers delegate without being completely clear on the desired outcome. If managers would take more time on the front end of a project, being crystal clear on what a successful outcome would look like, they would end up spending less time on the backend trying to fix what went wrong. Managers need to communicate what determines success. Then they can focus on the outcome rather than how to do it. Ask the person to paraphrase what they understand the outcome to be to make sure you're both on the same page.


The ability to successfully delegate is critical to increasing productivity in an organization, but you have to do it right. Our advice to managers: Make sure to let others who are involved in the project know who you have delegated it to and be clear about this person's level of authority.

Managers should also be hands off. Many make the mistake of delegating but not letting go. They get sucked in by their own desire to be involved. As long as things are heading in the right direction in an acceptable manner, don't interfere.

Learning to effectively delegate will yield short and long term benefits for you, your team and the company. Those managers who understand how to delegate will raise their group's performance level and be on the fast track for promotion. Just as you grew when your boss gave you opportunities, do the same for those reporting to you.

Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success

Is It Time To Hire an Executive Coach?

People turn to executive coaches for a variety of reasons. Sure, if you're in a jam, an executive coach can help, but they're not only for crisis situations. Now, more than ever, people are hiring executive coaches to help increase their competitive edge.

While mentors and bosses can help, they're not always as objective as you need them to be and you may not be comfortable opening up to them. Also they are not usually able to dedicate a significant amount of time to your situation.

Whatever your reason for considering a coach, they can add value in a number of ways.




Raise Your Game - Whether you want to position yourself for promotion, increase your industry knowledge or be more effective in your job, an executive coach can help you get there. Increasing your competitive edge is key to long-term career success. Whomever you hire should be able to teach you best practices in the areas that are most important to you (e.g., negotiations, leadership, execution, etc.).

Putting Out a Fire - When you have a flat tire you need to fix it right away not 20 miles down the road. If you're on a performance plan with a short time frame, a coach can be a tremendous asset. The coach should develop an action plan to aggressively address each of the areas you need to improve. Measurement is critical, so make sure you hire a coach who will hold you accountable.

Transitioning To Something New - Perhaps you've reach that point in your career when you know you need to do something different but are not sure what. A good executive coach can help identify those things which you enjoy and are good at. S/he can then help you leverage those into a new, more fulfilling career. Once you have identified what it is you want to do, you and your coach should create a career plan with specific actions to move you in that direction.

Increase Job Satisfaction - We can all be happier in our current jobs. An executive coach can help you identify those components of your job which you enjoy most and help you focus more on those areas. Similarly, you can take the areas you don't like and work with your coach to reframe them.

Improve Your Relationships - Most people work in an environment where they are dependant on others to get their jobs done. Given this, having good working relationships can make you more productive. An executive coach can help you strengthen those important relationships, identifying opportunities for you to bond with co-workers in genuine and productive ways.


Hiring an executive coach is a smart thing to do. Not only will they help you raise your performance level, they can give you invaluable perspective on your situation. Executive coaches counsel hundreds of people in a myriad of industries and that perspective can yield significant benefits.

Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success

The Real Career Killers

We all hear talk about things that can kill your career. A missed opportunity? Bad presentation in an important meeting? Lost customer? While these things won't help your career, they certainly don't define your overall career path. So, what are the things that can deal a devastating blow to your career?



Here are the real career killers:

Mixed Results - A track record of hits and misses when delivering on goals will hurt your career. Companies are looking for consistent performers - individuals who they can count on to repeatedly meet expectations. Some people make the mistake of thinking once they've met a few goals they're not under the gun to continue contributing at that level. In order to advance your career you have to constantly prove yourself. Consistent performers get promoted; others are perceived as a risk. This applies to positions throughout the organization, entry level to CEO.

Not Developing Your Team - If you really want to be selfish about your career take care of the people who work for you. The only way you can move up is by training and developing the people who report to you and, importantly, identifying and grooming your successor. Don't get so wrapped up in the day-to-day tactical issues that you fail to spend time training your team. By developing your team you are strengthening the organization and its competitive advantage.

Not Accepting Responsibility for Failures - The mark of a true leader is being able to stand up and hold yourself accountable when something doesn't go according to plan. The buck has to stop with the person in charge and if you're that person step up to the plate. No one gets to the top without their share of failures. Taking responsibility demonstrates integrity which is highly valued. You'll be viewed as someone the organization can trust because you're honest enough to own-up.

Taking Too Much Credit - Some people think that giving others credit reduces the impact of their contributions. The opposite is true. The more you credit others the more it positively reflects on you. Real leaders know how to motivate their teams. The best way to motivate someone on your team is to give them recognition for what they have done.

Failure to Learn from Mistakes - A CEO once told us that his management style was to create an environment that eliminated fear. He wanted people to feel free to take risks, but said, "You had better learn from your mistakes". We all make mistakes. The key questions to ask yourself are "What did I learn? What could I have done differently? How can I prevent it from happening again?" This learning will serve you in the future and give your boss confidence that you have the self-awareness and insight to grow from the experience.


It's critical, especially in these times, to avoid doing things can derail your career. Keep tracking how well you're measuring up in these important areas, otherwise your career will stall.

Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success

What Recruiters Look For

In this time of restructuring, downsizing and double-digit unemployment, it's more important than ever to be ready when a recruiter calls. Being ready means telling a concise and compelling story that demonstrates how your background matches to what the company needs.

Stories should have a beginning, middle and end. Don't highlight something that you started but couldn't finish because you left the company or the project was halted. The most effective stories set up the business problem, discuss the solution and detail the results.



Aside from how you communicate your accomplishments, you have to have the goods. Here's what recruiters are looking for:

Results - We are always drilling down to find out what a candidate has accomplished in each role. Did you move the needle and deliver results? Just as importantly, how did you deliver those results, because the process of how you get things done is just as critical as the results themselves. We come across people who have accomplished great things but have alienated people in the process. Very few organizations want those types. When we interview candidates, we're looking for the specifics about the results they delivered: What was your goal? What were the market conditions? What plan did you put in place and what obstacles did you overcome to get there? And why are those results noteworthy?

Leadership - Companies hire for a specific position, but they are always looking for people who have the potential to advance within the company. Every search assignment we have requires leadership and management skills. Leadership is about creating a vision and management is about how you implement that vision and utilize the people and resources you have. Successful leaders know how to articulate a vision that is both meaningful and inspiring to the people they work with. If you don't demonstrate effective leadership, your career is going to stall.

Career Progression - We ask candidates to explain how each role demonstrates growth in responsibilities. Are you managing a bigger piece of the business than before? If you moved from one international assignment to another, does the new position reflect more responsibility or greater challenges? It's important to always be monitoring your career path to see if you are increasing your responsibilities and tracking towards your ultimate goal.

Broad Experience - The more assignments you have and the more diverse those assignments are, the more valuable you are to a potential employer. You never know when the experience you gained in a particular role can be used to help you solve a problem in a future position. Companies want to know if you have the ability to do more for the organization, beyond your functional area. We had a VP of Marketing interviewing at a Fortune 500 company and the CEO asked him, "Can I move you into supply chain, if I need to?".

International - Companies are more and more focused on growing their international business. There are valuable skills you pick up from an international assignment. One is how you deal with varying resources from country to country? How do you work within various cultures? Companies are always looking for "plug - and - play". If they want international and you have it - it's easier to sell your candidacy.


You never know when that call from a recruiter will come in. Start developing and practicing stories around your experience now. The more details you can provide and the more excited you are about what you accomplished, the more likely you'll get to that all important meeting with the hiring manager.


Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success

Don't Fall Asleep on the Job When You're Working from Home

Working from home has many benefits: you don't have to commute, you don't have to "suit up" and you don't have co-worker "Joe" chewing the fat about things you couldn't care less about.

There are many distractions at the office which is why people say they get more done working from home. At least that's what they tell their bosses. The truth is that working from home has its own set of distractions.




Here are things you can do to be more productive working from home:

Have Your Own Work Space - This should be separate from the main living area of the house and exclusively for your work use. If family are home have a "closed door policy", otherwise it may be tempting for them to want to talk with you - after all you're just on the other side of that door. Help them understand that you're on the clock. If at all possible, work from the quietest space in the house.

Get in a "Work Mindset" - Yes, physically you're at home, but mentally you're at work. Resist the temptation to step over the threshold from your work life to your home life. No watching your TiVo programs at lunchtime. TV during work hours can take you out of a work mindset. Also, steer clear of the 200 pound gorilla in the kitchen commonly known as the refrigerator. For some reason, being home causes people to snack throughout the day (you just finished a report and celebrate with leftover pizza). Mirror at home how you eat at work. And don't go through your personal mail until the end of the day. There could be a major distraction in the pile, especially if "O" Magazine has arrived.

Take Minimum Breaks - At work, you're more conscious of the passage of time because you get the visual cues of people going off to lunch and coming out of meetings. At home you don't get those, which can throw off your internal clock. There's less happening around you which may trick your brain into thinking that it's time for another break. So, keep the breaks to an absolute minimum.

Plan Your Day - This is especially important when you're working from home. It's key to plan your activities and assign specific times around them. That will keep you focused and on track. This goes for lunch too. Give yourself 30 minutes for lunch, after all, the food is close by and you shouldn't have to stand in line to get your sandwich.

No Housework, No Errands - Don't throw a load of laundry in thinking that you are multi-tasking. You're really not - you're doing laundry. When the buzzer goes off, it will pull you away from your project and the same thing will happen an hour later when the buzzer for the dryer goes off. As far as errands go, you may be very efficient doing errands when working from the office, but that doesn't usually apply when you're working from home. At the office, you have to be efficient because people notice if you're gone for an extended period of time - that's why you get so much done. Without that pressure at home, you're apt to take a 15 minute errand and turn it into a mini shopping spree.


Working from home is a great benefit. Leverage it for all the good it can bring you while avoiding those time killing pitfalls that can affect your productivity.

Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success

The Beauty of a Well Run Meeting

It’s a typical day and someone’s called another meeting you have to attend. That racks up 10 so far this week. How are you supposed to do your work if you’re constantly in meetings? The most common complaints about meetings are that they are too long, not always productive and often a complete waste of time.

While you can’t control how others run their meetings, you certainly can do something about yours!




Here are some ways to make your meetings run better:

Have An Agenda – Your meeting should have a clear goal. What’s the purpose of the meeting and what outcome do you want? Organize the meeting with the various topics to be discussed and what the desired outcome is. It should be clear when a decision is expected, as opposed to providing a status on the project. Each topic should have an allotted time (e.g., 10 minutes) and you should lead with the most important things, like what decisions need to be made. People are freshest at the start of the meeting and you’ll want to take advantage of this.

Invite The Right People – More things tend to get done at smaller meetings. Only have the people necessary to achieve your desired outcome. Make sure the people included have the knowledge to discuss the issues and the appropriate authority to make agreements. You might want to structure the meetings so that decision makers can leave when they’re done. There’s no need to invite an entire department when one person can represent the group.

Discuss Issues Beforehand – Share the agenda and the issues with the key people beforehand. The more they know about what will be discussed and what decisions need to be made, the more productive the meeting will be. Make sure everyone knows what information they need to bring. By having a brief conversation with them prior to the meeting you’ll know what issues might be raised. The more you know in advance, the better prepared you’ll be.

Decide How You’ll Manage – Will you make an opening statement that reiterates the purpose and objective of the meeting? Will you summarize along the way (recommended) or at the end? Who will take the notes? How will you keep people on track and draw the meeting to an end? All these should be decided beforehand so that you are managing the meeting and its not managing you.

Keep Them Engaged – We’ve all sat through seemingly endless meetings, where someone droned on and on. To the extent that you can, engage people so they are actively participating. After all this is not a lecture, it’s a meeting. If you notice someone is particularly quiet, ask for their input. Every voice should count or why else would they be in the room? In the spirit of being inclusive, you’ll want to create an atmosphere in which people feel free to express their views. Not only will this keep the energy level high, there will be more solutions offered.

Meetings are a necessary part of business and the most effective ones are those in which the best planning was done prior to the meeting. The planning that you do upfront is a compliment to the people in the meeting, because it shows you care about their time. Just like you, they have lots on their plate, so help them get back to their work soon.

Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success

Outplacement is Like an Orange: Squeeze It for All it's Worth

Thousands of people got laid off last year and were offered outplacement. In case you don’t know what outplacement is, it's a firm that specializes in assisting recently laid off people with their job search. Outplacement is a great resource and unfortunately not everybody takes advantage of it. We come across people all the time who were given the opportunity to work with an outplacement firm like DBM, Lee Hecht Harrison or Right Management and never utilized it. It’s mind boggling to think that people had access to terrific resources for FREE (since their former employer paid for it) and then never used them.

Some of the reasons we’ve heard from people who didn’t avail themselves of this valuable service were, “I didn’t think I’d need it”, or “I knew someone who had a bad experience with it”. If it was the latter, it could be that person didn’t go into it with a good attitude.

Outplacement is a great benefit, and if you’re lucky enough to be offered it, by all means use it.

Here are some of the goodies you’ll get:





Access to Coaches – Outplacement firms will usually assign you an individual consultant to help you work through the issues you’ll face in your job search. These coaches have industry experience and are well credentialed so they are in a great position to offer guidance. They can also help you with mock interviews, clarifying goals and help you with your career transition. Coaches become coaches because they enjoy helping people and get genuine satisfaction out of seeing people succeed in their job search. They have a vested interest in seeing you land your next great job, and are a great partner to have in your corner.

Tools & Research – The bigger firms usually have cutting edge resources like: databases that have extensive company and executive information; analyst and market research reports that provide industry trends; training programs to elevate your skills and personal assessment tests to give you further insights. In addition, you’ll get help with resume development and a marketing plan. All of this is at your disposal. Use it!

Job & Resume Postings – These firms have access to a multitude of job openings in a variety of industries and can notify you of jobs appropriate for you. In addition, they have their own job sites that allow you to post your resume. As recruiters, we can attest to the fact that these sites help people find jobs!

A Place to Work– Some people find it really valuable to have a place outside the house to work on their job search. Outplacement firms have office space, computers, printers and telephones to help you stay focused and efficient. They also bring in speakers to help you with networking and shed light on current industry trends.

If you do find yourself laid off and offered outplacement, squeeze every ounce of value out of it. As wonderful as outplacement is, it does not go on in perpetuity. It can range anywhere from three months to a year and we all know how quickly that time flies by.


Fred & Gladys
Whelan Stone
Executive Search and Coaching
Authors of GOAL! Your 30 Day Career Plan for Business & Career Success