The sign on the door read, "Human Resources," although it could just as easily have said "hell" for all the fear and anxiety I was feeling. Walking uncertainly toward the portal that appeared to grow ever larger and more foreboding with each and every step I could swear that somewhere in the periphery of my hearing someone chanted, "Dead man walking!" I could have imagined the whole thing, but looking back on it, I think not.

My friends in the company had warned me that it was going to be a tough interview as the Human Resources Director had a reputation for being a real hard case bearing little or no resemblance to an actual human. But I'd been through tough interviews before and felt ready for almost any question regardless of how difficult.

Placing my trembling, perspiration soaked palm on the doorknob, I turned it slowly and opened the door onto a narrow room that was dominated by a long, richly veneered conference table at the head of which sat a smallish woman I immediately judged to be somewhere between forty-five and fifty years old. Her naturally gray hair, cut stylishly short, was a perfect match for the designer frames of her eyeglasses which, in turn, complimented her charcoal gray business suit.

Glancing briefly my way she said impatiently, "Well, don't just stand there, young man, come in. I haven't got all day, you know."

I did as instructed, running through a mental checklist of probable questions which I'd fielded from my longsuffering roommate the previous evening. As I mentioned the table was quite long with enough seating for twelve counting the two end chairs.

Unsure of what was expected I mumbled, "Anyplace in particular where you'd like me to sit?"

She didn't answer, but instead quickly jerked her head toward the chair immediately to her right, which meant that I had to either walk around the far end of the table, or cross behind her to get to it. I decided on the far end.

Before I even reached my seat, she said without preamble, "What do you consider your single greatest weakness as a manager?"

I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that the question caught me completely off guard, but my previous experience with interviews had taught me that the savvy interviewee had to expect the unexpected.

Sitting quickly I arranged my face into a pleasant, yet business-like expression, straightened my tie and said, "To be quite honest, I don't believe in focusing on weaknesses."

"Really?" she said, raising her eyebrows

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