“What is the purpose of this interview,” I asked. Morgan struggled for a moment, but some clarity managed to pierce the fog.
“The purpose of the interview is to help me make the right hiring decision.”
“Good,” I continued. “In a sense, you are in the role of the fortune teller. It is your job as a Manager to predict the future. How will this candidate behave when they come to work in your company? So, Morgan, the best predictor of future behavior is what?”
“Past behavior,” blurted Morgan.
“Exactly, the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. All you have to do in the interview is find out about their past job behaviors. If they have a pattern of a behavior in the past, there is a high likelihood they will repeat that behavior when they come to work for you.
“First, determine what behaviors will be necessary for the position you are hiring. Then find out, if that is what they have done before. Once they report for work, you will NOT be able to change their behavior; it already has to be a part of them, their patterns. You are not in the behavior modification business. You are in the behavior selection business.” -TF
This is a particularly fine point for educators and one that constantly trips up teachers/administrators. As a teacher, my job is to change behavior. How much of this carries over into my job as administrator?
Thomas,
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. An educational organization exists for a different purpose. Most of the issues discussed in Management Skills Blog are based on a Management Accountability Heierarchy (MAH), where the purpose of the organization is to accomplish “work.” This work is usually a product or service.
An educational institution exists for a different purpose. Its relationships within its faculty are more precisely defined as collegial. Its activities with its customers (students) are developed as learning experiences.
However, the administrative side of an educational organization is more aligned with an MAH, meaning accountability comes back in the picture. If I am hiring for administrative duties, I am back to selecting behavior, rather than attempting to modify it.
For more reading on organizational structures as they relate to purpose, pick up a copy of “Mintzberg on Management” by Henry Mintzberg.