Ignorance and Efficiency

Ignorance is a killer in today’s fast-paced marketplace. Either not asking appropriate questions or making too many assumptions will result in a more expensive cost model although the impact is usually insidious and not easily split out from other expenses unless a senior manager decides this is important. The manager may assume that things like honesty, respect and teamwork are natural traits for many seeking new positions. Do not make these or similar assumptions. A famous man once said, “trust but verify. Efficiency is another important word. It’s easier to immediately see competence than character attributes. For instance, if your résumé says you can run a drill press, your potential boss can easily test your skills in a matter of minutes. If you insist you are honest, he must be more creative to verify your statement and it will likely take a bit more time. One method to test for character traits is to constantly ask in an interview for past examples of behavior in a variety of situations.