The Questions That Should Have Been Asked

Tweet

I ran across a quick article on a blog that focused on the questions a prospective CMO should ask when determining if a role and company is right for them. While it’s water under the bridge now, some of these questions might have helped our hapless executive in Champagne Taste, Beer Budget. Actually, the questions offered in this article would be beneficial for any seasoned marketer looking at taking a new position.

Here’s the link to the article. What do the best CMO candidates ask in an interview?

Questions like “How do you Plan to define success for the (position title) over the next 12 months and the first three years?” can tell you a lot about how the role is seen in the organization. It can also tell you how long you have before you’re expected to produce “big things.”

There was one company I knew that had a standing joke about the Superman cape that was put on every management-level new hire. As soon as the individual accepted the role, the rumors would start about how brilliant he/she was and how they were going to do great things.

After three months, when the new manager didn’t single handedly orchestrate a turn-around, the cape started fraying a bit. By six months, it had disintegrated completely and the old-timers in the organization were starting to ask how such a poor choice could have been made.

Even if you’re one of those who ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time and are now looking for work, these questions should still be asked. With so many competitors for the same position out there, it’s tempting to just take the first thing that comes along.

In the case of the marketing executive in Champagne Taste, Beer Budget, I’m sure the answers would have been less than ideal. But even if the individual decided to take the role, at least they would be going in with their eyes open.