Unusual Interview

I recently came across this lead-in from an article on The Ledger.com.

When Andrew Morton interviewed to work at Comtrend, a high-tech equipment manufacturer, he didn't bring a resume. He brought a business plan.

The article went on to explain quite a bit about Morton, Comtrend and the direction they are headed (yes, he got the job). But it was the statement above that caught my eye.

Doesn’t conventional wisdom specify that you have a resume handy for an interview? But ignoring the box, Morton brought a business plan instead. Do you think that might have made him at least a bit more distinctive, from other candidates who might have been seeking the same position? Even if Morton was not exactly correct in his plan, what message did it send to Comtrend about his interest, willingness to prepare, and ability to apply some real thinking toward important business issues?

This reminds me of one of the problems in many organizations today. Too many managers at virtually every level, spend too much time preparing status or activity reports, and little or no time doing some real thinking about the direction or strategies the business should take. The status report is like the resume – “here is what I have already done.” Reviewing current status is important, but so is deep thinking about the future. So with all the focus on current activity, who is doing the strategic thinking work?

If you want to make yourself distinctive, try viewing your piece of the business as if you are the owner. Learn about it, think deeply about it, and do the hard work of figuring out how to best differentiate your organization’s value and capabilities in the external marketplace. Don’t settle for simply reviewing yesterday’s work. Develop and willingly offer your "business plan" of growth possibilities and strategies. It will benefit your business, and clearly shine the light internally on your own value and capabilities as well.