Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Interview # ___1__
Person Interviewed: _____Lydia Trejo____________
Relationship: ______Wife________________
Questions:
1. When you think about me, what are some adjectives or phrases that come to mind
that are good descriptions?
Now more than ever, wise with your time, extremely detailed and a nut job about
logistics nothing goes unnoticed and you prepare well for the unknown.
Your responsibility, accountability and loyalty to those you love and trust. And
trust does not come easy for you so those you trust have gone through a lot to earn.
Youre still impatient and sometimes quick to judge and to make assumptions.
However, you have improved drastically with your assumptions. I have seen you
grow more patient and cautious about making assumptions.
4. Based on what you know about me as a leader at work, what is your impression?
Based on what some of your work peers have shared with me, I think youre fair,
you expect responsibility and accountability and you are willing to help those who
seek it. This does not surprise me though. I wouldnt expect less from you.
g. Communication skills and present ideas (verbally, and/or in writing). Rating: __9___
Comments: The only reason why I didnt score you a 10 here is because there are times you
make assumptions about people understand exactly what you want; sometimes without
conveying your thoughts properly.
5. If you could suggest three things I could do to improve my professional abilities, what
would they be?
Nothing; you are preparing well for the present and the future. Your drive to better
yourself is unparalleled.
You have a way of seeing through the negatives and building on the positives. You
promote that sentiment amongst your employees and peers. From an organizational
standpoint, you are committed to the goals, mission and vision. And you are the
epitome of an ambassador for the organization.
Unfortunately, your expectations are a little too high and you become easily
frustrated when your employees dont meet them. I understand where your heart is;
but unfortunately most employees dont know you the way I do and they can be a bit
intimated by your actions.
You are a textbook example of leadership. You lead by example and your
reputation is above reproach. You project a legitimate concern and care for those
who work for you. You are able to adapt well to change and you present it and
implement it extremely well to your employees.
You need to promote to manager. Our organization can definitely use a leader like
you and with your skills. Perhaps more training in budget and planning could fine-
tune your current administrative skills.
You are not perfect, nobody is. But you have skills and traits which make you
extremely marketable and a strong asset. You are also very personable and you
legitimately care for your employees well-being; I have seen this first-hand.
SECTION 1: Write up a 2 - 3 page summary of your thoughts (800-1200 words),
answering the following questions: (Include each of the questions, as well as your
response to each in your write-up.)
What was your rationale in developing your interview guide sheet(s)? What did you
hope to discover? NOTE: With respect to the interviews assignment(s) you
completed for OGL 220 Behavioral Dynamics in Organizations or any other course
requiring interviewing assignments briefly describe the differences in your
approach to this particular interviewing opportunity, differences in your interview
guides sheets used, and your goals for this set of interviews (including what you
learned before, and what you are hoping to learn this time).
I was really curious to see if anything had changed about the way my wife saw me or
thought of me this time around. I purposely used the same questions (with the
exception of questions # 4 and 6) so I could see if there was difference. These were
the same questions used during the interview in OGL 220.
I wasnt expecting too much of a difference. But I was pleasantly surprised
nonetheless.
This second time around, I interviewed a co-worker whom Ive known for over 11.5
years. He has promoted twice now and is actually a manager for whom I worked for
in the past. He is a candid man and not afraid to tactfully express his thoughts about
something or someone. During the first interview (during OGL 220) I interviewed
another co-worker who has actually worked for me. He has since promoted to my
rank (sergeant).
These interviews are actually very interesting. I think Ive said this before, but I am a
bit skeptical of surveys and assessment tests; I find them very subjective and
extremely one-dimensional. But these types of interviews allow a person to express
themselves and not be restricted to a yes or no answer. My goal as I set myself for
these interviews was first, to appease my curiosity and second, to take away
something constructive to make personal as well as professional improvements.
You know that old saying, you cant teach an old dog new tricks, its actually not
true. I learned something through this process. I learned that I can learn. I also
learned its never too late for personal change. My wife (whom Ive been married to
22 years) told me I have actually become more patient. That is not an easy task for
an old dog.
I also learned through my co-worker Im not doing such a bad job at work. I
appreciated his assessment. It shows where I stand professionally with people I
work with and for.
Although I did not approach these interviews with any expectations, I did have a
good amount of curiosity, but curiosity not in the sense of just being nosey. I wanted
to know if anything had changed either for the worse or for the better.
This was a real pleasant surprise. My wife actually thinks my patience (or lack
thereof) has improved. I have been working on this aspect of my life all of my life; or
at least since I became aware of it. But I did not have a scale to compare myself to.
So hearing this from my wife was quite the pleasant surprise. She was quick to
remind me though that Im not there yet and more can be done. So while I am happy
with the progress Ive made in this area, I want to take her comments and use them
to continue to improve.
Since I did not interview the same co-worker this second time around (only because
he was out of town), its hard to gauge similarities to the first interview. But my
second co-workers did provide me with insightful thoughts about my performance as
a leader and a follower. Question # 4, How would you describe me a leader? was
especially insightful and extremely constructive. Its always good to hear from
anyone (especially from your manager) that youre a textbook example of
leadership.
How will you think differently, and what will you do differently, as a result of this
assignment (self-monitoring, working on developing certain skills, etc.)?
As stated earlier, of all the assessment tests and surveys, interviews are the ones I
consider a bit more objective. I also like the ability of the person being interviewed to
expand and elaborate. The answers my wife and co-workers gave me provided
many insights, and helpful assessment of who I am, and how the people around me
perceive me.
I live my life on a constant learning curve. I am always on the lookout for new
knowledge and experience. The day I think I have learned everything is when the
learning will stop. And the day I stop learning is the day I pass on from this life.
I appreciate all critique; the negative especially. Constructive criticism helps make
corrections. I cant learn or correct actions if Im not told what it is Im doing wrong. I
always try to give advice to others with this philosophy in mind. Assessments similar
to these help me become a better professional and person.