When asked in interviews "what is my management style," how do I answer this question?

Management style is how you use your skills in persuasion and your technical knowledge to win others over to get the job done. The only way to answer this question is honestly. Your personality affects your management style. There are managers who believe they are the only ones who can get the job done.

This manager has little time to socialize with his/her subordinates, takes advantage of authority and chain of command and involves little or no coaching of employees. Employees generally fear this type of manager and will do what the manager asks instead of offering their solutions to problems. Another type of manager is a risk taker who wants employees to think outside the box. The manager is a coach. A third type of manager follows all the organization's rules and regulations in making decisions.

This type of manager often communicates with employees through memo and email rather than face-to-face. And lastly, there is the manager that uses teamwork and shares decision-making authority as a means of teaching subordinates and helping them grow. No one style is perfect. No matter what style you use, you are responsible for the decision. You should be consistent so that employees know your expectations.

I was turned down for a position with the reason "I would have a hard time fitting into the company's culture," what does that mean?

The company's culture is the values and distinctive personality of the company. You were told you do not fit in because your values may be different from others in the organization. Often an individual interviewing for a position is aware of the company's culture through gathering information on the internet. The decision affecting your employment may have been based on the fact you work better as an individual rather than as a team member, your approach to problem-solving may not be the company's approach or any number of other reasons. A positive culture is where the focus is on getting the job done in an environment of openness and trust.

Among the characteristics in this type of culture are good communications, not being afraid to share information, more involvement in the decision-making process and well-understood tasks and responsibilities. Culture could be based on how long the company has been in business, where the company operates and who are its leaders. A company with a well-defined culture is in a better position to outperform its competitors if its employees are on-board.

After looking for a job for over a year and having twenty years of experience in marketing, I have decided that I would like to open a consulting business in advertising and marketing. What are the obstacles?

Your opportunities are limited due to the size of the market. There are strong advertising and marketing businesses in Rhode Island as well as competition from consulting firms in Boston and New York. You need to select a niche in advertising and marketing where you would provide different and better services than those already being offered in the Rhode Island market area. Consulting is based on relationship building and technical knowledge, gained through education and experience to help businesses solve problems.

There are many obstacles to starting a consulting business beyond the legal requirements in Rhode Island. Although the cost of entry is low, you may not need an office or a staff but the financial risks are high because you do not know when you will get your first assignment. New business development is an important activity and has to take place even during the first assignment. Successful consultants have relationships that lead to business, a resource base for getting additional help when needed and alliances that provide referrals and offer reciprocity.

I am interested in selling to professional businesses such as lawyers and physicians. How difficult is it to reach this market?

Selling to professional businesses is more complicated than selling to other customers because of the difficulty to talk with the customer. Professional businesses look at building relationships rather than transactions where the salesperson is interested in only making the sale. It is difficult to get beyond the "gate keeper" to see a physician or lawyer. The salesperson needs to persuade the "gate keeper" that his/her products and services could save money, time or solve a specific problem.

The salesperson is in reality a consultant who adds value, builds relationships and provides solutions to problems. The salesperson has to listen to what is said, what is not said and what is meant and match this information to what his/her company offers. The purpose of this process is to become a trusted advisor even if a sale is not made. Physicians and lawyers look for salespeople who know their business, take time to listen carefully to what is needed, use time well and visit by appointment.

Has the glass ceiling disappeared for women interested in reaching executive positions?

There is still evidence that women are unable obtain executive positions in some companies. Only 10 percent of senior managers at Fortune 1000 firms are women. Glass ceiling is the term used when a qualified person is stopped at a lower level because of discrimination. The major causes for a glass ceiling are socialization issues, stereotyping and prejudice. Women working full time make approximately 75 cents for every dollar a male makes. This gap is narrowing as more women enter the workforce with college degrees. United States Senator Hilliary Clinton used the term glass ceiling when she said, "And although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it." Sexual and other forms of discrimination are illegal under federal and state laws.

The U.S. Congress passed the Glass Ceiling Act in 1991 which encouraged employers to remove barriers to the advancement of women and minorities. Glass ceiling barriers include paying differently for comparable work, lack of family-friendly work policies and discrimination for advancement based on sexual, ethnic, racial, disability, age or physical appearance. If qualified women are excluded from executive positions, companies will lose an extraordinary amount of talent which in the end will result in lower profits and returns to shareholders.