Comments on: Executive jobs: It’s not you, it’s not me. It’s just not meant to be.

By: Stop Drifting and Start Driving Your Career

Stop Drifting and Start Driving Your Career — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 17:04:43 +0000

Referenced in: Stop Drifting and Start Driving Your Career http://is.gd/jccwL5

By: Dave Opton

Dave Opton — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:54:26 +0000

Well said, and the distinctions Jose has made in helping people to focus on the four key elements in the quest for assuring aptitude and guaranteeing success should make sense to client and candidate alike.

By: Alisa Tazioli

Alisa Tazioli — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:20:36 +0000

Great post, reflects my experience as an executive recruiter focusing specifically on General Counsel and other in-house corporate counsel positions.

By: Celia Dorr

Celia Dorr — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:47:56 +0000

One thing I would advise an executive going to an interview is to have a job proposal in hand. He needs to research the company, its products, competition, strengths and weaknesses. This is briefly an outline some of the challenges the company may be facing and strategies that can address those issues and turn them around. He does not tell he does it he simply demonstrates how he has accomplished this in his other jobs and how it can apply to this company.

By: Ed Kluckowski

Ed Kluckowski — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:06:41 +0000

Jose,

I agree, very interesting article!I’m not so sure companies can find the total right “fit”. They have not in the past, not so sure in the future.

What gives when the business practices and culture may have prevented a company from being successful over the past three years(profitability? Thus, a “turnaround” situation is now in play for the new leader and the new leader may be more goal oriented, challenges people to do better, makes some dredded cuts all because the culture may not have supported it in the past? This new leader may very well have to “change” the culture. How successful can the new leader be by changing the culture from a mediocre to high performing? Something will have to give, right? Does this align with your thoughts?

By: Desmond Cleary

Desmond Cleary — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:05:07 +0000

Overall I find the article very interesting and certainly to the point. However, your comment “A successful turn-around specialist is seldom the best choice for a stable environment” threw me in why you wanted to single out this speciality.
Frankly, I consider that most companies go through several phases through time and stability is just one of these. Precisely, the executive who managed well in a stable environment has normally more difficulties to manage when there is a change in cycle. The first problem is even recognising that change is under way.
I believe management skills need to be matched with the phase a business is going through in the medium term 3-5 years. This implies that management needs to be renovated or maintained in line with these cycles depending on their respective skills at that moment.
This obviously questions long term tenure either in a company or job and focuses more on project management for a limited medium term time frame. It has the advantage of renovation and better fitting specific job skills to the current business needs.
Finally, many executives are really only put to the test when facing unstable conditions with many being exposed as second rate. Therefore, I would question seriously the all round professional skills of anybody being ranked above all others just because they are better in a stable environment.
When the going gets bumpy or tough it is when you see the true character or lack of it in many executives. Sometimes a narrow focus on skills ignores other important attributes such as character

Desmond

By: Suzan Oberle

Suzan Oberle — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:37:58 +0000

I have also found that “must have” requirements are unusually discipline and industry-specific. Companies seek someone who has successfully performed the job already, for a key competitor, and ideally, the same product line. If a candidate doesn’t meet these requirements, they are unlikely to proceed far enough for “cultural fit” to be an issue.

By: Enrique Castillo

Enrique Castillo — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:36:50 +0000

Dear Jose,

Very interesting article, as many of us have experienced going through all these job market changes. I have found that downsizing and cost reduction efforts are very short term effective. On the long term companies need to realize that what will keep them moving forward is their organization`s ability to increase throughput in new creative ways. Sometimes they loose this ability through downsizing. I suggest reading The Goal, It`s not Luck, or The Choice from Eliyahu Goldratt. He exposes this situation in a very easy going reading. I have applied this approach as a Consultant in Finance and Sales Administration and it really works.
Regards,
Enrique Castillo

By: Tim

Tim — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:35:59 +0000

Interesting and consistent with what I have found in my search. The depression economy and a downsizing biotech/pharmaceutical sector have made executive positions difficult to locate and even more difficult to “fit” as firms are ever more selective.

By: Debi Yohn

Debi Yohn — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:48:06 +0000

Jose, I totally agree and I do not think it is all bad. What this type of business environment does, is recognize the skills and the wisdom of exceptional workers. It is more than the diploma. It is the entire package the employee brings to the work environment.
Debi