Practice, Practice, Practice - Integrating Interview Training Into Your Firm Culture
It occurred to me one day, as I watched a team of mostly introverted architects struggle through an important interview prep, that if they just had more time to practice, they would surely get there. There was only one week between the shortlist announcement and the interview and, just to throw more salt into their wounds, most of the team had not done an interview in a year or longer. How can we expect them to be successful under these circumstances, I wondered? This is a conundrum that is common in the AEC profession. But I have a solution. In addition to working with clients on interview prep, I like to take it one step further by recommending that firms integrate interview training into their office culture. Because in the end, I believe that being a good presenter is achievable for everyone if they practice, practice, practice.
I know what you are thinking, “Who has the time?” But I have seen it not only done, but done well, and there are ways to make it happen without it interfering with projects and deadlines. Even better, the rewards go beyond improving public speaking skills. People succeed and, as a result, gain more confidence in all areas of their work. More importantly, a wonderful camaraderie happens among the group and that cohesive team dynamic is something selection committees want to see.
So how do you implement this grand idea? I recommend giving staff the opportunity to speak whenever possible. I have seen it happen at office meetings where each week someone gets a turn and 10 minutes to talk about anything they want. It does not have to be about work. It can be about a hobby, a trip, a ritual they have in their life, anything that they know well and enjoy. The idea is to let them talk about subjects they are comfortable with at first. The only drawback to this can be that the larger the staff the longer it takes to circle back to each person. It is a start however, and firms can create other opportunities like this to supplement. Forming an in-house speaking group, for example, where staff meet early in the morning or at lunch can be an effective strategy.
I once faced a room of skeptical principals at a large architecture firm when I pitched the idea of organizing a lunchtime speaking group that was optional and would take place twice a month. The sentiment was that no one would give up their lunch hour to practice doing something as unpleasant as public speaking. “Give it a shot if you want,” they told me, “But don’t get your hopes up.”
I extended the invitation to everyone in the firm, rather than limiting it to people who would be more inclined to interview. I recommend this. Someday, entry-level staff who do not currently interview will move up the ladder. Think of how well they will do after so much practice! As for admin, support, and marketing staff, while they may not interview for projects, they attend events, meet clients, and, in the case of the marketing team, help with interview prep and should be included.
Much to everyone’s surprise, the conference room was packed—standing room only packed. It was so popular we had to revise our approach several times so more people would have the opportunity to speak. As it turned out, the staff wanted to get better. They wanted to be rid of the relentless butterflies in their stomachs torturing them before interviews. They wanted to get over their fear of talking in front of people, including at the numerous meetings people in AEC are required to attend, present at, and lead.
So how do we structure these meetings and keep everyone interested?
For our first meeting, we watched Steve Jobs’ well-known Stanford University Commencement speech, remembered for the quote from the back of the final issue of Whole Earth Catalog, “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” The beauty of Steve Jobs’ speech is the throughline. The entire speech can be summed up in those four words. He was also charmingly authentic, sincere, and allowed himself to be vulnerable. It was a great start for the group, and the first assignment was to take part of that speech, practice it, and deliver it at the next meeting.
Much like the office meeting recommendation, we spent the first few months or so letting people decide what they wanted to talk about. Once they became more comfortable, we started changing it up. Because teams are presenting together and always change members from project to project, I assigned groups of two to talk about a project they were particularly fond of. We had them write elevator speeches and deliver them as though they were talking to a client they had just run into. We gave people one minute each to introduce themselves to the room and talk about their role on a project. The key to this one was not to allow any boilerplate jargon about what a project manager, for example, does. They had to dig deep and talk about why people would want to work with them. We also occasionally watched other Ted Talks, did a mini workshop on body language, and even brought in an actor to teach a few improv sessions. I was shocked to see the biggest introverts in the room dive into their sketches with reckless abandonment. All those meetings with the group made them trust themselves and each other.
In short, people improved. They were more self-assured. They became more connected as a team. They had fun.
There are numerous ways you can incorporate interview training into your office culture. I appreciate it when I work with project teams on interview training and they take that ball and run with it internally so the next time I show up to help, the prep is seamless. Here are a few of my tried and true tips:
Teach Them to Spin a Good Yarn. Stories are remembered 22 times more than facts. Instead of talking about how all their projects are on time and budget (does anyone ever say they are always late and expensive?), help them tell a relevant story about how they do that.
Set Up Your Team for Success. I mentioned earlier that I let people talk about whatever they are comfortable with first. Likewise, when handing out speaking assignments, I encourage giving them talking points with which they can identify. When people on teams are asked to present things they are not interested in, or on projects they have not worked on, or a function of a project they are not particularly good at, they are forced into last-minute learning and memorization. Memorization lacks authenticity.
Encourage Them to Learn About Who the Clients Are. Every AEC team is hired for one thing, to help clients achieve their goals. That should be your approach when working with teams and strategizing for interviews (as well as in any other marketing endeavor). Practice ways to keep focusing on the client’s project over constantly talking about how great your firm is.
Help Them Believe They Already Know What They are Supposed to Say. Think of it this way, if they are working on a project that inspires them and a friend asks about it, they will have no trouble enthusiastically describing it to them. There will be excitement in their voice, they may even be animated. In doing so, their friend will be excited too or at least be drawn to their joyfulness. That is the vibe they want to project to a selection committee.
The most important thing you can impart to your interview training group is that selection committees know you are qualified, or they would not shortlist you. At the end of the day, they want to be sure your team is the team they can work with for the life of the project, and sometimes that is a very long life.
Note: If you'd like to watch Steve Jobs' Stanford Commencement Speech, you can find it here. It's a great speech!
Link to article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/practice-integrating-interview-training-your-firm-julie-75ilf/
