Hello Gary-Friend,

Thanks for asking about the interview. It went well, I think. I usually interview well because I don’t get easily flustered in that type of situation (plenty of others, just not that one in particular). I’ve taught myself that people don’t mind if you take a minute to think about your answer before you say anything. I’m not talking a five minute pause or anything…just time to order my thoughts.

Basically, if I went beneath their questions to the real questions they were asking it was something like this: Lori, you are a nice person. You are friends with basically everyone here. Can you be mean? Will you be able to draw the hard line if necessary?

One really good question they asked me is “What if you have to relate to your team a decision made by management that is final but that you think is wrong?” I had to think about that for a second. I ended up saying that the time to voice my opinion about the issue was during the meetings among the supervisors. Once a decision had been reached among management it was my job to support whatever decision was reached. That went over well because we had just been talking about how I would handle the fallout of making a final decision among disagreement of my team members. To which I responded that I would have no problem with that because any decision I came to would be logical and reasoned and after looking at all the facts. The disappointed people would just have to deal with the fact that they didn’t win this time, but at least it wouldn’t seem arbitrary. So, I was able to say that the same would have to apply to me for decisions, with which I didn’t agree, that I had to disseminate to my team. (I really hate calling it a “team” but I think I’m just going to have to get used to it.)

Well, that was probably more than you wanted to know. They said I should know by the end of next week. I feel like I did well, but not like I’m a shoe-in. I don’t think I completely fubar’'d anything, at least.