ive, loose, and free, if that is what is needed to master some situation. This process seemed to require a bit of each approach. I thought about how to talk with these managers (all men) and get the truth about what they wanted in a new employee. I thought about taking the responsibility for the logistics of the meetings and for setting an emotional tone such that they would reveal honestly what it was they wanted or didn't want in the new employee. I was responsible for structuring the situation, even if part of that structure was to let the manager freely say the truth about what he wanted. This subtle awareness gave me considerable control over myself during the delicate process of revealing interesting prejudices and feelings held by the managers.
I noticed that there was a certain amount of tension at the beginning of each interview. This tension was due to the fact that these managers are my superiors, but they were dependent upon me to get the new person hired. I was interrupting their busy schedules in order to ask them
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