I was doing an interview recently when, not for the first or
last time, I was momentarily stumped by a question. There is an expectation for
interviewees to have an instant answer to whatever they are asked, but often
this simply isn't the case.
You need a moment to think when
questioned on a new topic, and during this interlude bright ideas can sometimes
arrive. Interviews are a good time to question your beliefs and think about
what you really believe in; it's a bit like sitting on a psychiatrist's couch.
The
same goes if you are having a good chat with a friend, as opposed to an
interview. By challenging each other in conversation, you can get to the root
of issues and develop new plans.
A
journalist once asked me in an interview if I'd ever thought of going into the
rail business. I replied that it could be a good idea. The next thing I knew
there was a headline in the Sunday Telegraph saying: “Branson to go into
trains.” So at that point I needed to go and build a team! Virgin
Trains has now been running for 16 years and counting.
Where do good ideas usually strike you?
Richard
Branson
Founder at Virgin Group
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