I read an interesting article by Susan Schoenfeld about what she considers is the best interview question.

Are You Lucky?

Why is this a good interview question?  Because it reveals a tremendous amount of insight into the candidate.  While typical questions solicit standard responses from candidates, this question allows the interviewer to look into the character of the candidate.  In responding to this question, the candidate will be more inclined to reveal a little (or a lot) of his or her true nature:

• Are they an optimist or a pessimist?
• Do they believe that hard work and some degree of luck have gotten them to where they are now?
• Do they reveal some sense of entitlement?
• Or worse yet, do they believe that a series of mishaps and "bad luck" have landed them in front of you, interviewing for this job they don't want?

Asking a person whether or not they consider themselves lucky allows them to evaluate, in your presence, the trajectory of their life, and define themselves in ways that are critical to job performance. Individuals who believe that they are lucky tend to be collaborators, innovators, and employees who provide excellent customer service.

So, ask yourself, ask your job candidates and ask your employees, "Are you lucky?"

        

Have you had an interview question like this:

You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night,
when you pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the bus:

1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.

2. An old friend who once saved your life.

3. The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car? Think before you continue reading.

This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application. You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first. Or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again.


I have heard that the candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer. He simply answered: 'I would give the car keys to my old friend and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams.'

Sometimes, we gain more if we are able to give up our stubborn thought limitations.

Never forget to 'Think Outside of the Box.'

        

In these troubling times, where do you go to save money.  A new coupon site has entered the fray in offering coupons to its Long Island users -- LB Coupons (located at www.lbcoupons.com).
 
They have coupons for restaurants, car washes, tanning center and other retail stores.

Their motto is "pound for pound -- the most bang for your buck.  We will see.

        

I was watching a video by Chris Anderson how things in our economy are approaching free.  The main thrust is that in our digital economy things are getting cheaper (which is different that our prior commodity world) and in some instances reach the point where they are effectively free.  And as things approach free, we should embrace that and treat them as free. 

With that, new business models emerge and test things that we can not envision at the outset – so “waste is good” because in the end we should develop a stronger model that works for all involved. 

 
As a result, companies can and and will continue to compete against products that are free.  This is the not the first time (e.g., Microsoft started that way and continues today to compete with free software like Google Gmail and other office products). 

 
Chris Anderson says we should learn 5 lessons from sales of game software

• People will pay to save time
• People will pay to lower risk
• People will pay for things they love
• People will pay for status
• People will pay if you make them (once they are hooked).

 For example, you may not be able to continue charging for your products as you do today.  So over time, you need to understand other opportunities that may arise to monetize the interaction of users with your business.  In the end, we are living in a continual test environment in which we should try things to see what works and doesn’t. 

You can watch his presentation here:  http://siia.net/softsummit/2009/the-price-of-free.asp.

        

An ancient Greek parable said the fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.

What does all this talk about hedgehogs and foxes have to do with good to great? Everything.

Those who built the good-to-great companies were, to one degree or another, hedgehogs. They used their hedgehog nature to drive toward what we came to call a Hedgehog Concept for their companies. Those who led the comparison companies tended to be foxes, never gaining the clarifying advantage of a Hedgehog Concept, being instead scattered, diffused, and inconsistent.

In his book, Jim Collins summarized it as follows:

A Hedgehog Concept is a simple, crystalline concept that flows from deep understanding about the intersection of the following three circles:

1. What you can be the best in the world at (and, equally important, what you cannot be the best in the world at). This discerning standard goes far beyond core competence. Just because you possess a core competence doesn’t necessarily mean you can be the best in the world at it. Conversely, what you can be the best at might not even be something in which you are currently engaged.

2. What drives your economic engine. All the good-to-great companies attained piercing insight into how to most effectively generate sustained and robust cash flow and profitability. In particular, they discovered the single denominator—profit per x—that had the greatest impact on their economics. (It would be cash flow per x in the social sector.)

3. What you are deeply passionate about. The good-to-great companies focused on those activities that ignited their passion. The idea here is not to stimulate passion but to discover what makes you passionate.

Just some thoughts on a Thursday.

        

I have been to Wild Ginger several times.  It is located in the back of a strip mall.  I am usually leery on any restaurant in a strip mall.  This restaurant had some outdoor seating facing the parking lot.  A lot of negative signals going against it. 

But the food was great especially the sushi and the wok dishes.  It has fun atmosphere.  I highly recommend Wild Ginger

        

I love the sushi from Nagashima and I found this coupon.  Enjoy!

        

For those of you who like Japanese Steakhouses (and if you have kids then it is a godsend), visit Hokkaido in Alberston and use this coupon

        

For all pizza lovers, I have a coupon for one of the best gourmet pizza on the North Shore of Long Island. 

Enjoy!!

        

I found out that April 21st is a special day at Ben & Jerry's.  They Offer Free Ice Cream Cones.  So rush out and get a free cone with the best ice cream in the world

Tuesday, April 21st is Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s, and you know what that means...
free ice cream for you!

As a way to thank our customers for their support and to celebrate 31 years of scooping the chunkiest, funkiest ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet, Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops are happily giving it away!

Maybe it’s time for you to try a new flavor that you’ve been wondering about without commiting your hard earned dollars or it’s time for you to enjoy an old favorite and savor in the deliciousness that is free ice cream? Hey, either way it’s time for you to come on in!

Around the world, Scoop Shops are opening their doors from noon to 8:00 pm, to serve up a free scoop of your favorite flavor. Please check with your local Scoop Shop for more info!

Grab a pal and come on down to have some good, ’scream fun on us!

 

Find a participating Scoop Shop near you!

http://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/feature/free-cone-day/