Setting the Stage for the Creation of the Right Fit Method

(In Dr. Arlene’s words from WIN Without Competing! and “No Competition,” UCLA Magazine)

When I was six years old, my dad, a cantor in a synagogue and I would walk hand in hand through the streets of my hometown Brookline, Massachusetts, the birthplace of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. I watched him greet and talk with person after person. After each conversation, he asked me, “What did we say?” He did not want me to recall the words that were exchanged, but the meaning behind the words. He wanted me to explain with whom he was “dealing” so I would never miss the “real” message.

Later in life, I realized the significance of what my dad taught me. I had learned how to “read” people with very little information about them, a necessary skill if you are trying to figure out whether they are the Right Fit for you or could be the Right Fit, after successful negotiations.

My dad’s teachings continued. When we went to the market, I learned to shop with standards. The focus was always on high quality. For example, I knew exactly how to select bananas. I didn’t compare and contrast bananas to find the best. I excluded the bananas that were brownish and overripe as wrong fits. Then, I proceeded to search for those bananas that matched my dad’s specifications. When we finished shopping, we left the market with brown bags filled with Right Fits!

As I was growing up, I began making all my decisions implementing the Standard of the Right Fit, from selecting friends to moving to Los Angeles at age 21. My dad walked me down the Right Fit Road which motivated me many years later to create the Right Fit Method, the subject of my book WIN Without Competing!. Wouldn’t my dad be astounded to learn that his teachings enabled me to become a divergent thinker, a key component of creativity. And of course, the number one Dr. Arlene on Google!

According to your situation, ask yourself: Do I have the Right Fit job? Do I know how to find the Right Fit job? Do I know how to fix the job fit and turn it into the Right Fit job?

Questions or comments? Please email drbarro@winwithoutcompeting.com or call (310)441-5305.

Goodbye for now!

Dr. Arlene

Become the Flawless Fit on the First In-Person Interview

In an employer's marketplace you must be the Flawless Fit to capture the position you want. The question is what to do to become the flawless fit in either situation. Here are three actions you can take to help you become the flawless fit:

1. A couple of days before an in-person interview, stand in front of a mirror and evaluate your appearance. Interestingly enough, you could be either one extreme or another -- looking too good or not good enough. Remember you do not want to outshine the employer or potential client. You need to match!

There's one exception. If you are entering a casual environment, unless you are told otherwise, you want to present an appropriate professional appearance. That means you should be well-groomed, wearing an outfit that is attractive with no distracters, such as showy jewelry, unpolished shoes, or unmanicured fingernails.

2. During an interview, either by phone or in-person, you must Manage the Process, which means you need to take charge. The goal is to eliminate potential objections to hiring you, such as a number of jobs in a short period of time. In order to eliminate the objections, you must anticipate them and provide answers that will satisfy the interviewer or interviewers. If you are asked a question that incorporates an objection, you have failed to squelch the concern or concerns, which means that it is unlikely that you will be hired if the objections are significant.

3. You need to be comfortable with potential employers or clients but not overly comfortable. The old expression, "Loose lips sink ships" holds true. You need to provide enough information to match. Do not provide unnecessary information of a personal nature. For example, the employer does not need to know your marital status. It’s all up to you to only say what needs to be said.

You can become the Flawless Fit on your first in-person interview, as long as you remember to take charge!

Questions or comments? Please email drbarro@winwithoutcompeting.com or call (310)441-5305.

Goodbye for now!

Dr. Arlene