Nothing is worse than getting tripped up in an interview. When you walk in the room and you shake their hands, you only have a moment to make a great first impression. You should go with the five senses approach to the first impression, dealing with how you appear, how you smell, etc. But once you make a great first impression, there is the unavoidable truth that they are going to ask you questions and you are going to have to answer those questions in ways that will help you stand apart.
One of the most dreaded questions in an interview is almost universal: “What is your biggest weakness?”
What are you supposed to say? Are they actually asking you to give them ammo to disqualify you from the position? Well, yes and no. Like most questions, there is something deeper they are looking for. It isn’t about your answer, per se. It doesn’t matter what your weakness is; every employer knows there are weaknesses. What they are looking for is if you can pinpoint your gaps and if you also can pinpoint how to improve. Forget about the iced coffee debate; this is the nuts and bolts of an interview. Here are a bunch of weaknesses and how you should answer the question.
Bad at delegation
If you have a hard time delegating, it can show a few things. The first is that you may be a bit of a control freak. The second is that you may not work well with others. How do you answer it?
“When I first got a management position, I had a hard time delegating. I wanted to make sure everything was perfect because my name is on the finished product. As I got more experienced, I have realized it is my responsibility to surround myself with people I can trust and, in delegating, I can take advantage of everyone’s skills, and the product is ultimately better.”
How does this come across? Self-awareness, growth, and teamwork. All great things.
Time management
Are you always late? Nobody wants that. It is one of the biggest red flags in an interview. If you were late to the interview, most likely you won’t have much of a chance. If you are on time, you are already proving that you are improved. How do you answer it?
“Time management was always a struggle when I was younger. Whether it was missing deadlines or being late to the office. As I have grown into myself and my work style, I have pinpointed the things that pull my focus, both professionally and personally, and I have leaned into being on time and detail-focused as a strength. Even if it remains something I can’t be complacent about, it will return.”
What does this say about you? Vulnerability. An openness to have honest conversations about shortcomings. And, most importantly, a continued dedication to improvement.
Overpromising
People pleasing is one of the worst aspects in a workplace. Overpromising because you haven’t felt comfortable saying no is the first step to being burnt out. You will take on more than you should. Then you have two choices: your product can suffer or your word can suffer. So how do you answer this question and deliver a good impression?
“I have had a hard time with balancing genuinely wanting to be helpful and protecting my capacity. I have learned over the years that overpromising as a people pleaser can cause my work product to dip or damage my trustworthiness to meet deadlines. Saying no is a persistent growth point as I put more focus on delivering on solid promises.”
What does this say about you? You take pride in your work and can balance multiple projects and ideas while prioritizing what is truly important.
Impatience
Who hasn’t been here? We all wish sometimes that we could skip the learning bit and move on to the success bit. Partly because it is a lot of effort to grow and improve. And partly because we don’t want to experience the failure that comes along with learning. So how can you convey that you are impatient with processes without sounding impetuous?
“I have always been impatient. When I wanted to sprint towards success in the past, I found myself leaving others behind and missing vital steps. I have come to understand that people smarter than me put processes in place for a reason, and even if I have ideas to improve the process later, I can’t do that if I skipped over it.”
What does this say about you? You’re ambitious, you’re solution-oriented, and you know how to trust the process.
Bad communication
We all communicate differently. When I was in the Army, the higher-ups, “the brass,” broke everything down to as basic an idea as possible. They used to say, “KISS it,” Keep It Simple, Stupid. I used to get frustrated by it until I realized that it wasn’t about intelligence for many of the soldiers (some it was absolutely about the lack of intelligence). It was more about communication style. Not everyone heard what they needed to. If you have a hard time communicating your ideas, here is how you…well…communicate that.
“I think very differently. I always struggled to convey my ideas in ways that other people could understand, and I used to get extremely frustrated by it. I then discovered the concept that what I say and what people hear are two very different things. Now I tend to spend a good amount of time getting to know my teammates’ communication style to remove that barrier.”
How does this come across? You’re a team player who takes a genuine interest in team dynamics. You’re resourceful. You find ways to take your weaknesses and turn them into a team improvement.
Adverse to asking for help
Ego is a killer. No matter how you slice it, you can trace back many of these shortcomings to ego. Not asking for help can cause two very big problems. 1 – You spend a lot of time troubleshooting and doing things the wrong way when someone more experienced can bypass a lot. 2 – When you present your results, they could be wrong anyway. Here is how you navigate this shortcoming in the interview.
“I am a strong-willed person, and I hate not knowing things. I have often found myself not asking for help, to grin and bear it. I had a mentor once teach me that there is a line between figuring things out for yourself and wasting valuable time. I had to learn to set my ego aside and learn from those around me.”
The message? You can put your ego aside. And you value the expertise of your coworkers while maintaining your drive and thirst for knowledge.
Details vs. Deadlines
I have known a lot of overthinkers in my life. I have been accused more of being an underthinker…shoot from the hip and hope for the best kind of guy. But for all of you overthinkers, details are the killer. It is easy for you to spend a ton of time getting things right and, sometimes, that can put the entire team off track and off schedule. So how can you deliver that in a way that doesn’t sound like a huge issue?
“I am pretty detail-oriented. While that can sometimes be a superpower, it can also cause me to get lost in the weeds and, in the past, has put my teams behind schedule. I have developed ways to keep me on point and focus on the big picture while not losing my ability to be the detail-oriented person.”
What do they hear? They hear someone willing to compromise to help a team stay on point. They hear that they can count on you to police your setback and see the big picture.
Validation needed
I won’t go so far as to say this is an insecurity, but it isn’t far off to say that. We all want to know we are doing a good job and what we are doing is valued. But when you become that person who constantly needs feedback (positive or negative), it comes across as insecure and creates more work for your supervisor. So, how do you tell your future supervisor, who is probably sitting right in front of you, that you need praise?
“I used to work somewhere where my management team was hands off, until they weren’t; then they were very hands-on. I discovered that I had an issue with a lack of feedback. It caused me to feel insecure and starved me for the praise I felt I deserved. Since then, I realized that most managers will tell you if there was a problem, and almost none of them will be upset if you simply ask if there is anywhere you need to improve every once in a while.”
Acknowledging your sh*t is an extremely valuable trait. We all bring insecurities, baggage, and weird needs into the workplace. It is unavoidable. What you just did was acknowledge yours and show the team you aren’t going to create more work with an incessant need for a gold star.
Knee-jerk reaction
Being impetuous is fun and exciting in relationships, but not so much in the workplace. You can cause unpredictability and an unstable work environment when you react instinctively. My drill sergeants used to call it “firing the weapon with an empty chamber.” The idea being that you jumped into a solution without prepping properly.
“I’m excitable. I love solving problems. In the past, that has caused me to jump into something and work towards a solution without considering my options. What I learned from that is that, oftentimes, if I paused before action, I would see a better path on second evaluation. Now, I try to pause before acting so I can do it right the first time.”
What this says about you. You are energetic and want to get your hands dirty when things aren’t working. And, you have figured out the difference between solving a problem and working the problem.
Prioritization
Every manager wants someone they don’t have to micromanage. If you have a boss that micromanages, it almost always comes from a lack of trust. Prioritization is usually the way to prove you know what needs to be done. But what if you’re the kind of person that needs to finish one task before moving to the next? Here is how you talk that through without being micromanaged out the gate.
“I am pretty methodical when it comes to my work. I like checking things off lists and completing tasks. Where that has gotten me in trouble in the past is the inability to leave something half done before tackling something else that comes in the door, regardless of priority. I learned that not everything deserves the same amount of focus and energy. And I developed ways to ensure I return to those lesser priorities in slower moments.”
Good judgement. Knowing when to focus and when to pivot is one of the most valuable attributes in the workplace. It also shows the makings of a leader. Someone who can make that decision for others when needed.
Underestimating documentation
When in doubt, write it down. I am a writer, so I am pretty big on having something to write on at all times. Just in case something strikes me. But not everyone is like that, and documentation is extremely important. Sometimes it is for new processes, so you can retrace and recreate your steps for those behind you. And sometimes, to make sure you always have a record of difficult conversations if a relationship with a coworker or employee sours and you need to make administrative moves. So, here is how you tell your new company how you navigate that weakness.
“When I was younger, I always wanted to be the cool boss. I didn’t need to document anything when I corrected it. I simply moved on. That came back to bite me at least once. I have since learned how important it is to ensure I document tough conversations, and it has also helped me create new processes without having to redo things we forgot.”
This shows the panel you grow. You found how your mistakes affected those around you and the company and corrected it for the future. You learn from your mistakes, and you don’t repeat them.
Ideate before having the complete picture or not taking action
I am definitely an idea guy. But there is a process that follows an idea that you need to be committed to. Nobody likes to sit and listen to the guy who throws everything at the wall and keeps tossing whether something sticks or not. People want to see ideas in action. And, similar to the knee-jerk above, getting the complete picture is step one.
“I am addicted to new and fresh ideas. I always want to make things better and push teams and myself forward. In the past, that has caused me to ideate over and over instead of taking action. I have learned that the process for a great idea has prep and implementation, or there is no point. Get the full picture, choose the best idea, and get to work.”
What message are you sending? That you crave innovation and improvement. That you value the grit and hard work that follows an idea and don’t mind digging in yourself.
Compassion or customer/client awareness
We all know a task manager. I used to run movie rental chains in the Midwest. I am a people person, and I am not very good at task management. Therefore, I hired assistant managers who weren’t very good at customer service. However, inventories and cleaning never suffered. If you are the task manager, you may need to grow as much as I did to do tasks. How do you communicate this setback?
“I love digging in. Nothing makes me happier than rolling up my sleeves and getting things done. As valuable as that is, I found myself lacking in the customer service department, and I had to learn how to balance the two. I listened to those around me to improve myself in that area, and finding that balance has always been a focus of mine.”
You can definitely be trusted to get things done. This slips a strength in there while also showing you are willing to push yourself beyond your comfort zone while trusting your team to help you.
Decision paralysis
You need to be a decision-maker. The person in charge won’t always be around, and therefore you need to be trusted to make decisions in their stead. Some of us aren’t great with that and become paralyzed in fear of making the wrong choice. The question becomes: is no decision better or worse than the wrong one? If you are the person who needs to communicate this shortcoming in your interview, here is how you put it.
“In the past, I have found myself having a hard time making decisions for fear of making the wrong one. The lesson I had to learn was that action is better than inaction. Making the wrong decision is better than not making one at all and staying stuck. I realized that, as long as I am focused on the company, team, or client, no decision can’t be justified.”
You’re taking charge of your shortcomings and learning to take charge of the decision-making as well. You are willing to wear a mistake and explain it if needed. You are willing to become a true leader.
Now, if you read all of these, you will see that I used anecdotes of my past to explain a shortcoming. You shouldn’t take these word for word, but instead you should take these concepts and adapt them to your life. These aren’t scripts. If you treat them as such, they will sound suspiciously like a script. Adapt them to your life and use your own words, and it will come across as genuine.
