More "Best" questions and your responses

I ask people how their significant other would describe them. It makes people think because they try to answer with a "business" response and it sounds funny when you hear some of the responses. It leads to a deeper understanding of how people handle surprises. I use Neal's crash and burn question also.—John

Interesting. A couple of comments. I think I have heard, or read about most of these questions (except how does one know anything). As I encounter new questions, I add them to a list, that is organized with similar types of questions. So, when I go for an interview, I make sure I can answer the questions for each category. I also use some of the questions when I interview to hire. Second, some of these questions are designed to test your BS factor. If you don't know the answer, say so, don't try to BS your way through it.Finally, "how do we know anything" is a question of epistemology that philosophers have wrestled with for a long time. DeCartes famously asked the question, "how do we know that we are not sleeping right now?" There is great disagreement among these experts, so how the heck should I know. However, I am confident that at this moment, I am not dreaming. I don't know how, but I am confident. So there.—Steven :-)

Let's spool things up and make Jan earn her money.* When was the last time you put your foot in your mouth?(during an interiew lunch while discussing my wonderful family and referring to my daughter as the "Queen B*tch". Yeah, that stopped traffic. It just came out that way.)*

What games do you have to play to get on the right side of people who matter in your company? (Are you referring to the "suck-up" game??)*

You probably have worked with one or two incompetent or obnoxious people. How do they manage to keep their jobs? (The answer to this one is a bit trickier but sucking up does count as an answer AND it really helps if they have pictures of senior management in compromising positions with animals - or a secretary. I'm convinced that the latter is the actual reason because there are yahoos at my last company who should have been gone a LONG time ago - instead they RIF'ed the productive ones.)*

What proverb captures the essence or your career so far? (When all else fails blame a suck up.)

*If you worked in a big glass fishbowl, what might you do differently? (I'd put up curtains)*How many unproductive phone conversations do you have in the course of an average workweek? (All of then except when I'm speaking to my wife)--Glenn