More tips for internal job candidates

Jim Citrin
October 2006

You're the internal candidate for a big executive position. How you handle yourself in the process will in large measure dictate whether or not you get the job.

As I explored in my previous column, your preparation and conduct needs to be tailored to the fact that you're an insider with the advantages of knowledge, a reputation, and relationships, and the disadvantages of familiarity and potentially being misperceived as representing the status quo.

Now that you're all prepared, here are five guidelines for what to do in the interview process, and how to do it to maximum effect.

Articulate a few powerful themes

This could be the single most important piece of advice for any candidate for any job, but especially for an internal candidate in a high-stakes interview process. Develop three or four straightforward themes around which to base your candidacy, and use them relentlessly.

For example, everything Roger Goodell discussed during his candidacy for NFL commissioner fell within three themes: Everything starts with the game on the field, and it has to be great and continue to evolve; competitive excellence on the field requires having a league of strong teams operating at the highest level; and the league has to innovate in everything it does, challenging assumptions about how it operates and not being afraid to change business models.

Similarly, when Bob Iger was the internal candidate for the Disney CEO position, he emphasized three priorities for how he would bring focus and high performance back to company.

He stressed creating great content and storytelling; applying technology in the creation and distribution of the company's businesses; and growing internationally, both in expanding Disney's businesses around the world and in changing the notion that Burbank had a monopoly on creativity.

Your themes need to be specific enough to be meaningful yet general enough to serve as an easy-to-understand organizing framework for your thinking. Simplicity and clarity are usually more important during a search process than comprehensiveness and precision.

Since communicating effectively will be essential to getting the job, having a few clear themes will also help you communicate, be understood, and be remembered after your interview is done. Also, over the course of the search process, you'll be able to sharpen your messages as you discuss them with others and test them out in practice sessions.

Finally, as demonstrated by both Goodell and Iger, your themes are not only of value during the interview process. -- they'll lay the foundation for your strategic agenda when you get the job. You could see the themes of both these men in news reports following their appointments, as well as in the internal communications within their organizations.

Tell your story

Make sure that when your turn comes to bat, you tell your story: Who you are, where you come from, what you believe, what the major influences have been in your life, how you arrived at this place at this time. Don't assume that a board or even your boss really knows who you are.

Use analogies to emphasize your case

Do research to find relevant analogies that you can discuss to support your candidacy. For example, if the company needs significant change, you can debunk the notion that only outsiders can be change agents by drawing on the story of how A.G. Lafley reinvigorated Procter & Gamble, or how Anne Mulcahy turned around Xerox. Dub your approach "Transformation from Within."

You also can come up with examples, such as Carly Fiorina at Hewlett-Packard or Gary Wendt at Conseco, to show -- rather than tell -- the risks of not selecting you and instead bringing in a high-profile outsider. Position yourself as a less risky alternative who can still bring about the necessary change.

Prepare for the tough questions

Similarly, prepare for the "easy" questions, which actually may be tough questions dressed in sheep's clothing. Here are the kinds of questions you'll want to be prepared for:

• "What is your assessment of the company's situation?" Hint: be analytical and incisive in the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges facing the company; have an informed point of view -- don't come across as being too neutral or unwilling to take a position.
• "Why do you feel you are the right person for the job?" Highlight your track record and experience, and reemphasize your themes.
• "What would you do if you don't get the job?" This is a natural question, but it surprises many internal candidates. Resist the temptation to give an ultimatum, "If I don't get it, I'm out of here."
  
  In most cases, it's better to express something along the lines of, "I've put in five years learning this business, understanding the essence of the brand, etc. My complete focus outside of this room is to do my job to the fullest. My entire focus here and now, however, is to win this job by earning your confidence. I'm not thinking about anything else. I'll make any decisions about myself after you determine the best course of action for the company."
• "How would you be different from the incumbent?" State the fact that you are your own person. Depending on how successful the incumbent is perceived to be, modulate the emphasis on the ways in which you are different and how you are similar.
• "What was your specific role in developing or executing the strategy that got us into this predicament?" Be straightforward and do not be defensive about a difficult or failed situation. Focus on the lessons learned and what you would do differently next time.
• "What would you do if you were CEO?" Again, this is where your themes come in handy. It's OK to say, "As I pointed out when discussing my themes, I would concentrate on these three areas."
• "What would you do in your first 100 days?" Stress that you would listen and learn; that you would not make any promises that you wouldn't be able to keep. You might also point out that even as an insider to the company, you'll have to operate in such a way that you re-earn credibility for this new position, just as if you came in from the outside.

Practice, practice, practice

The process may require that you address a board of directors or a group of decision-makers. Prepare by envisioning the setting and how you see yourself in front of the group.

Practice the answers to both the straightforward and tough questions. Talk to the mirror. Write up note cards and an outline. Test out your story line, themes, and questions and answers on a friend, your spouse, or another trusted adviser. As in any other performance, practicing for an interview makes perfect.

If you follow the guidelines laid out in my two-part manifesto, you'll maximize your chances of getting the big job. And even if you don't get it, you'll have raised your profile and stature among your organization's key decision-makers.

Handling yourself with grace, intelligence, maturity, and professionalism will put you in a better position when the next big opportunity arises.

Related link

Previous articles by Jim Citrin can be found on Yahoo!Finance
Copyright ? 2006 Yahoo! Reprinted by permission.