I have yet to see a mock interview where the tone of the interview was bad, and the client could convert the interview to a Win. But I have asked deeper questions about developments in the client’s industries that were met with silence and, many times, errors in perception. Interestingly, such gaps didn’t affect their results. Interviewers are aware that applicants are often pigeonholed into a niche function and there are no incentives to look beyond their narrow focus.
What is the right tone?
Many confuse tone with the way one speaks. I have coached incredibly confident applicants who didn’t even once switch to a tone that felt like arrogance.
Confidence # Arrogance
You should show confidence in understanding the nuance of your function and the specific problems you solved in the industry. You should also demonstrate confidence about the feasibility of achieving your post-MBA goals. That is not arrogance.
Arrogance # Loud
Many confuse loudness with arrogance. This is a cliched stereotype about American tourists. The loudest in the room is likely to be an American is the cliché. If you analyze this behavior closely, it comes from two factors – an insecurity about the language restrictions in other countries and the fear that the other person might not understand the accent. So you will hear – loud and slow manner of speaking.
Loudness is not arrogance. If your style of speaking is loud, stick with it. You don’t have to lower your volume to fake the tone.
Direct vs. Indirect Style
Depending on the culture you come from, feedback can be direct, indirect, or in the middle. Such a style of communication can propagate to conversations or interview answers where you must evaluate a circumstance or a person. The problem with a ‘direct’ culture is that it lacks the storytelling required to present an answer. Unless you are giving commands to a computer or a bot, every human being is attuned to stories – in some form.
When you analyze any scenario in a direct style, it affects the tone of the answer and creates the impression that you see the world in a simplistic manner. Rarely are the world’s outcomes from simplistic explanations. It is multivariate. Human’s tendency to simplify cause and effect pushes them to choose this style. If you have any doubts about how this mindset works, read the headlines of stock market trends for a week in a volatile period. See how the publications are attributing the cause and effect of the ups and downs to one or two factors. That is not the truth. It is an easier explanation.
Tone vs. Judgment – Neutral Language
Another problem I see with tone is any judgment against a profession, culture, function, or industry. Of course, you must judge. Without judgments, it is tough to create a narrative. In essay format, we have the freedom to do so. There are several opportunities to balance the tone from judgment to kindness to inspiring.
Even with scripted answers in an interview - you have a 1–2-minute timeline to answer the question. In such a restrictive space, any harsh judgments will be considered a tone issue. You should learn to smoothen judgments with neutral language.
Modern political movements and authentic communication deride such neutral language or what the previous generation called diplomacy. Here diplomacy is kindness. And when you are talking about someone who caused incredible harm or a circumstance that caused a lot of pain, express the scenario with kindness.
