PROUDLY PRESENTS

Volker Brich
Resident of The USA and 3-DNET® VIP member
Email contact : volker@exec.org

      

 

INTERVIEW WITH 3-DNET® Interview in German

Listen to sample sound "bites" from the interview:  

Question 1 : Tell me about yourself

Currently, I am calling home the sunshine state of Florida. Originally, I am from Germany, married to a Belgian who insists on Belgium having the best chocolate on this planet and I am fortunate to have an international group of friends who naturally likes to visit Florida. Also, indicated by my professional background, I appreciate an international environment where I can encounter different cultures and different ways of doing business.

Question:  "Tell me about yourself....?"  

Question 2 : What can you offer to your next employer ?

Think of me as somebody who takes a group of people, leads them toward a goal and doesn’t stop until that goal is reached. How? Well, an important element of that journey is my ability to create a sense of ownership within my team.

Why I think ownership is important? Have you ever arrived at a store just before closing time only to find the door locked? Maybe you needed some chocolate badly, and you saw people inside, so you knocked on the door and nobody opened it. Of course, the employees inside were anxious to leave work but do you think they had behaved differently if they would own the business? I would think so. Which business owner doesn’t want to make money? So, ownership means commitment and committed employees achieve goals.

Question:  "What can you offer....?"  

Question 3 : What are your strengths ?

People don’t follow me over a long period of time just because I pay them more. The number one requirement for them is that I am trustworthy. And the point is, I have to earn their trust first. By the way, the word trust itself is derived from the German word “Trost”.

Equally important, trust is a by-product of my integrity. Without integrity I am not able to develop trust in my implementation teams. Without trust it gets tough to develop people. And without developing people you will look behind yourself one day and realize that nobody is following you.

Another strength of mine that is worth mentioning is my mindset that constantly challenges the status quo. I am looking for new opportunities and ways to do things better. What worries me is the prospect of a company not changing because you can’t get to better without first getting to different. Change means growth. And a company that cannot grow is an accident waiting to happen.

Question:  "What are your strengths?"  

Question 4 : What are your accomplishments ?

The first memorable event that comes to my mind took place at my current employer. The company is privately held and diluting ownership by introducing foreign capital was and still is a hot topic. But to keep ahead of its competition the company needed outside funding. So, I presented a list of corporate development ideas to my CEO and instigated the thought process about high-level company growth which couldn’t come from company means alone. Since I have a family contact in the venture capital community I naturally offered my help. Well, the company secured about 2 Mio dollars in VC money last year – not from my family contact, though, but I am glad I could contribute to my company’s growth efforts during its early stages.
Another story that I can think of happened at my former employer. Daimler-Benz was one of our customers for exhaust system components. In the special case that I am going to mention to you we are talking about pipe connectors that were used on the C and E class and Daimler had big problems with those. Multiple attempts to fix the problems had only limited success. And because of those problems in the past, the head of engineering at the Daimler plant in Stuttgart was not talking to us anymore. My task was to introduce our upgraded product that would solve their problem.

Unfortunately, that guy at Daimler always seemed to be unavailable when I called. So, to get his attention I sent him a fax that showed a drawing of an exhaust system with our suggested new product at the wrong place. With his expertise it basically looked like a poor fool’s work. So, the next time the poor fool called, which would be me his secretary put me through to him. I can tell you it was one of the most educational lectures about exhaust systems I’ve heard. It may sound strange but at the end of our conversation he agreed to test a small amount of the new connectors on the E class model.

Instead of making an appeal for cooperation I let him live out his smart aleck. But I also want to mention that this approach doesn’t work with cynics.

Question:  "What are your accomplishments?"  

Question 5 : What are your limitations ?

When negotiating with clients, contractors or team members I have to remind myself from time to time that using arguments as a means to negotiate has limited success, especially when defendant and judge comprise the same person. My experience has taught me that there are two significant weaknesses when using arguments as a negotiation instrument: First, there is always a counter argument to your argument and secondly, you can’t force somebody to accept your argument, of course. it.

Question:  "What are your limitations ?"  

Question 6 : How much are you worth ?

It’s tough to put a dollar figure on talent and skills unless you have an understanding of what a person is trying to do for a company. For instance, if I am growing a division or a company profitably by, let’s say 30% or more over several years, most people will probably agree with me when I am saying that my value to this company would be very tangible.

Question:  "How much are you worth ?"  

Question 7 : What are your ambitions for the future ?

I’d like to think that it is feasible to leverage my leadership skills and knowledge from industries such as Software, Financial Services, Medical Device and others, to gain a position at high decision-making level in an expanding organization. I can offer assistance in strategizing and growing a company in the right direction by means of acquisitions. And naturally, I will invite my future colleagues to accompany me on this path of changing an industry.

Question:  "What are your ambitions for the future ?"  

Question 8 : How long would it take you start contributing to the firm? 

Obviously, it will take some time to get my feet wet. But I believe that my experience in different lines of industry will grant me a head start. The fact that a significant amount of my skills will be transferable gives me the confidence that I will be able to contribute right away. I bring a lot of experience but I come into every job ready to learn and innovate. The company benefits and so do I.

Question:  "How long would it take ... ?"  

Question 9: What is your management style?

I need people to trust me in order to get things done quickly and efficiently. As a result, creating trust in my people is one of my top priorities. And as mentioned earlier, trust is a by-product of my integrity. Without integrity there is no trust. People will forgive me any judgment error that I may make but integrity mistakes are forever.

Maybe you are asking yourself: “Why is that guy so much dwelling on this trust issue”? Well the only thing I can say is, from my experience with restructuring efforts at one of the companies I worked for, I know that without trust, you simply lack the agility to keep pace with changing markets. And guess what: a low trust environment makes your people resist change at every turn and you will encourage robot behavior instead of creativity and initiative.
What describes my management style as well is that I assume that people who work for me are self-motivated and have motivational energy already. If not, I’ve made the wrong hiring decision. I believe that I cannot motivate a person or keep a person motivated unless I create the environment for that person to be motivated. And that means I have to make an effort to find out what makes that person tick.

Question:  "What is your management style .... ?"  

Question 10: Why do you think you have a good potential to be a manager?

Many times, I have to work within a matrix organization to find the people for my implementation teams. Since those team members don’t report to me directly, I am not able to pull rank or operate from a position of power. Because of that, there is no other way than to apply my managerial skills to gain my team members’ commitment. If I am not performing as a leader those smart people would see right through me and wouldn’t have the desire to join one of my implementation teams in the first place.

Question:  "Why do you think you..... ?"  

>Question 11: What would you look for in hiring people?

First priority is integrity. They have to be intelligent, open for new ideas and should have an “I can do it” attitude. Also, they should own a good portion of self-confidence, so they are able to deal with criticism and separate people from the problem when necessary.

Question:  "What would you look for hiring .... ?"  

Question 12: As a manager, have you ever had to fire someone?

No

Question:  "As a manager, have you ever..... ?"  

Question 13: What do you see as the most difficult task of being a manager?

Surrounding myself with the smartest people who are more knowledgeable than I am in their field of expertise and then trying to make them work together to accomplish a goal.

Question:  "What do you see as...... ?"  

Question 14: Describe what you feel is the best work environment?

Since I just had my third flight lesson a few weeks ago I’d like to answer that question with a short story:
Let’s assume for a minute that you are a pilot and a light begins to flash, indicating a problem while still in the air. The first thing that a pilot does in a situation like that is checking all of his instruments. Then he could go to a manual that describes contingencies for problems. He then goes through some checklist points, one by one, until the light quits blinking - knowing then that the problem is solved.

Compare that with what happens in many companies. An indicator alarms management that there is a problem. The light is flashing, right. Sometimes somebody takes a blanket and throws it over the light. Just ignore the problem and hope it will go away. As we all know, unfortunately, most problems do not just disappear. So, guess what: the light is still flashing. Some other people may want to change the bulb. Then the new bulb begins blinking just like the old bulb. Now, what can you do ? Well, how about smashing the bulb with a hammer. Some may feel better because the bulb is no longer making that annoying flash but we still have the same problem.

That is an example of a working environment that I wouldn’t feel comfortable in because most of the time the bulb is not the problem. There is a systematic problem that I would want to resolve.

Question:  "Describe what you feel..... ?"  

Question 15: Looking back how do you describe your past employer?

Cutting-edge software company, very smart people I had the pleasure to work with and a great place to learn new things. It's a good company, but I am not able to do what I would like to do right now.

Question:  "Looking back how do you ..... ?"  

Question 16: What have you done to increase productivity, performance, efficiency, etc..?

Typically, when going into a quality management system implementation you have the possibility to scrutinize your client’s processes and take a closer look at the quality management philosophy that drives your client’s environment. Then you try to identify needs or problems that your client maybe wasn’t aware of, or didn’t communicate to you when purchasing services from your company. So, what sometimes happens is that you actually can match a solution, for instance a new software module or a software customization to your client’s problem. That way you are helping grow your client’s bottom line and increase your own company’s top line. Both parties win.

Question:  "What have you done to .... ?"  

Question 17: Whether you are a "computer wizard", how do you respond to the financial side of your responsibilities?

If I don’t watch my budget my company is likely to losing money. If the company is losing money I don’t get a year end bonus. It is that simple.

Question:  "Whether you are a "computer wizard".... ?"  

Question 18: How many people have you supervised in your recent job?

The teams that I am working with have between 4-8 people on average and consist of different functional areas.

Question:  "How many people have you .... ?"  

Question 19: What do you like more, working with figures or words?

Being a member of Toastmasters contributed to my joy in using the English language as a means to present myself. Also, as you probably have guessed, due to my engineering background, I am used to working with figures as well. But what good are all the numbers in the world if you cannot communicate what they indicate. So, I go by the motto that genius is the ability to reduce the complicated to the simple or translate numbers into words.

Question:  "What do you like more ..... ?"  

Question 20: How do you think that your subordinates receive you?

Apart from the fact that my team members report to me on a dotted line basis, I’d like to think that the reason why they choose to be part of my team is my ability to provide a creative and innovative work environment. On top of that they may consider me a trustworthy person who respects them, who walks his talk and likes Belgian chocolate.

Question:  "How do you think .... ?"  

Question 21: What do you think of your previous boss?

One of the best aspects of my relationship with my former boss has been his serving as a mentor, someone who I could learn from what it means to lead people.

Question:  "What do you think .... ?"  

Question 22: Describe a situation in which your work was criticized?

When I was working at an automotive component manufacturer in England a new customer was expecting a prototype part. In order to manufacture the part new tooling had been developed by one of our tool suppliers. However, when the prototype was manufactured it didn’t comply to customer specifications due to a flaw in the tooling design. Based on our tool supplier’s lead time and our customers delivery due date the decision for amending the tooling had to be made by end of the same business day.

There was no problem except that the managing director who authorized capital expenditure was out of the country and I was not able to reach him that day. Hence, I decided to make the call and sent the tooling back to our tool supplier for amendment. That way the prototype could be delivered to our new customer by the due date.

Later, however, I was criticized for making that decision without the managing director’s consent. In the subsequent meeting between the two of us, we exchanged our thoughts on what had happened and I agreed with him to manage a similar situation in the future through different executive channels. At the end of our conversation he thanked me for my initiative.

Question:  "Describe a situation .... ?"  

Question 23: If I spoke with your boss what he would say about your greatest strength and weaknesses?

She probably would say that one of my strengths is dealing with people and me being levelheaded. For the weaknesses I would imagine that she could mention me being too persistent which in some cases can irritate people, for instance when a programmer promised me the code by a certain date but got pulled into another project. I was talking to him every other day.

Question:  "If I spoke with your boss.... ?"  

Question 24: How can you handle life under pressure and with tough deadlines?

If you love what you do there is less pressure from the outside. The pressure will come from the inside, from yourself to perform according to your standards. Then I wouldn’t call it pressure anymore but your commitment to do a good job.
For the tough deadlines, my remedy is thinking ahead and being proactive, that means having contingency plans and most important a team of people that you can rely on.

Question:  "How can you handle .... ?"  

Question 25: What do you think you do better: staff work or line work?

Since the Mergers & Acquisitions field appeals to me in particular, I probably would fall under the staff work category.

Question:  "What do you think.... ?"  

Question 26: In your current position, what problem have you identified that was previously overlooked?

During kick off meetings for my implementation projects I meet a lot of enthusiastic people. One time I remember there was this VP of Services. He was the management sponsor for our project and he wanted to gain maximum financial impact within the next six months. I mentioned to him that according to the estimates of the project team it would take roughly 3 man years of development and implementation services to complete his 100 item things to do list. So, I asked the VP: “Is it correct that you cannot pull people off current projects”. That’s correct, he replied.

By the way 3 man years over 6 months adds up to about 6 programmers and consultants working on this for 6 months.

I asked him further: How many programmers can you redeploy: May be one or two, was his answer. Can you use some of the other division’s people for this, I asked: Unlikely, his response. Do you have access to that many trained people. No, was the answer. So, I said: Seem’s like you are missing some people, right. If you don’t get the missing people what would you say is the probability of success of delivering the financial impact that you envisioned for that project? Well, he saw my point. To make a long story short, we ended up with a value driver analysis and identified the things that had comparable financial impact but also had the highest probability of success. That way we didn’t waste resources and frustrate staff on such a long shot.

Question:  "In your current position .... ?"  

Question 27: If you had a choice of job and a company what would you choose?

Most of us are spending a big chunk of time each day at work. If you don’t like what you are doing 12 hours or more each day you will feel unsatisfied and unhappy. A fancy company name won’t change that. I definitely go with the job.

Question:  "If you had a choice of job.... ?"  

Question 28:Do you have any objection to take a psychological test?

No

Question:  "Do you have any objection.... ?"  

Question 29: Do you consider yourself as a creative person?

I believe I am inventive in my approach to life and work. Typically, I seek out new experiences and try to find better ways of doing things. In fact, I majored in aircraft design, which supports my conviction that technology and creativity is a powerful combination.

Question:  "Do you consider yourself.... ?"  

Question 30: How do you describe your personality?

I would say I am curious, outgoing and unconventional. I don’t appreciate mediocre quality in products as well as in services provided to me but I accept mistakes if people learn from them.

Question:  "How do you describe.... ?"  

Question 31: What is your outside reading you do?

I keep up to date with industry specific developments and daily news through the web. I read different local newspapers when I am on the road. In addition, I am reading one business related book each month.

Question:  "What is your outside.... ?"  

Question 32: What are some of your outside activities?

I try to stay physically fit by dividing my time between going to soccer practice, of course, with my German background, right, roller blading, swimming in our community swimming pool and visits to the gym. I’ve taken up flying lessons for my private pilot license and go on bike trips when time and weather permits. I am a member of the Dutch Club since my wife is a Dutch speaking person and a member of the German American Business Council. Also, I am working as a volunteer for a non-profit organization called CCCS and helping them out at conferences and community fairs.

Question:  "What are some of.... ?"  

Question 33: Are you continuing your education?

Absolutely. On a professional level you can see a list of educational programs that I attended in the past on my resume. I am a member of the Toastmasters Club here in Tampa which helps in fine tuning my American language skills. On a personal level as mentioned above I am studying for a private pilot license and preparing for parenthood with some classes as well.

Question:  "Are you continuing your.... ?"  

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