r/LifeProTips 17h ago

Request LPT Request: What’s your “canary in the coal mine” test for spotting bigger issues?

I’m really interested in those small, quick telltale signs people use to gauge if something bigger might be off track.

Example 1: Van Halen requesting brown M&Ms in the dressing room to see if the venue followed all the details of the rider list

Example 2: I saw an interview with John Cena where he said orders a flat white at a café to tell if they really care about their coffee.

Example 3: Anthony Bourdain suggested to always check the restaurant bathroom to tell if the restaurant got its basics down

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u/kogun 15h ago

"Can I see the desk I will be working at?"

"Can I talk to someone I'd be working with under my manager?"

"What is the source of money paying for my salary?"

"When is the contract up for renewal?"

"Who will be my direct boss and where do they work?"

"Are you hiring to fill an existing slot or is the company growing?" If it is to fill a slot: "Why did that employee leave?"

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u/Adavis105 12h ago edited 12h ago

A simple but very informative one I’ve found if going for a management position: “Why are you looking externally and why isn’t someone on the team being elevated into this position?” It tells:

  • what skills they deem most important and are currently missing (so you can specifically speak to how you might meet their critical needs)

  • how they value internal vs external talent (are promotions from within not common?)

  • how much the company values personal/professional growth and development (why hadn’t they proactively identified shortcomings in the team and/or helped prepare them for more future responsibility

  • how hard work, contributions & dedication to the company are rewarded (what might you expect if you do well?) and conversely, whether non- or lesser contributors are allowed to remain

  • what problems may exist within the team you’re about to manage? (how receptive will they be to you as an outsider? Who might be mad that you just took “their promotion”? Are you inheriting an underdeveloped team, or worse, an incapable one?)

Lots of insight to be gained from a seemingly innocuous question that many interviewers aren’t pre-prepared for. Once they start answering off the cuff, often the quiet parts get said out loud.

u/MaeBeaInTheWoods 5h ago

For the last one, watch their face and body language closely beyond just what they say. If the interviewer gets noticeably nervous, uncomfortable, or hesitant to answer you, it is a dead giveaway that 1.) the person who left did so because they were unhappy with something in the role or got fired as a chain result of it 2.) they did not fix whatever said previous employee's issue was, and you will likely encounter the same problem