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As usually happens when there are more than two employees, there’s a political consideration in this job e-x-p-a-n-s-i-o-n. The vice president of manufacturing is an empire builder and jealously guards against any outside work being done.

S-o-o-o, what you do first is get your facts straight. Call the outside subs and meet with them to discuss outsourcing the manufacturing work to them. This is within your present job description—it’s just not politically correct.

Then have that source give you a detailed, realistic proposal to do the work. One that will anticipate every objection. Specifically, the cost, the tolerances, quality control, and the delivery. It must be absolutely bulletproof.

You get corroboration by using another source as well.

The result—as you knew would happen—was that the cost to produce would be less (due to much lower operation expenses), and quality control could still be monitored in-house. Completion would be faster, so delivery would be, too.

You go to your direct supervisor. You explain the merits of the idea to him. It will also free up the manufacturing group to take on new business. All it would take is a little marketing that you would do.

There are four job e-x-p-a-n-s-i-o-ns here:

You would be willing to handle the contract negotiation with the subcontractor (Job Component 1), the quality monitoring (Job Component 2), delivery timeliness (Job Component 3), and the marketing of the manufacturing capability (Job Component 4).

You’ve used the third-party validation of job e-x-p-a-n-s-i-o-n by the proposals. You’ve explained why it will make your job more profitable to the company. You’ve shown professionalism. (No attacks on the status quo or the status quoers. No hidden agenda.) More important, you’ve shown initiative.

Your supervisor likes the idea and supports you. He reports to the corporate controller, a numbers guy. The controller reports to the president. So does the vice president of manufacturing—a gruff ex-military officer who resists change.

So you ask your supervisor if he would set up a meeting for you with the controller. (That’s your I.I.) He’s happy to do it, because he sees that this will give him more power and money. He offers to attend, but you tell him you’ve got a good relationship with the controller (actually, you don’t know him that well, but this is an instant interview; you already rehearsed with your supervisor and don’t need any interference).

You ask your supervisor to arrange the meeting with the controller in your little (until expanded) office. This is a smart request, since otherwise we’ve got you entering the inner sanctum of someone with greater power. We have nothing against the controller or his office, but you’re being aggressive enough with the idea itself. In your office, you’re in the driver’s seat.

You greet the controller with, “Hi, Craig! Have a seat.” Otherwise, give him the Magic Four Hello (Do 1). Then, you simply give him the two proposals and let them work. You do not sell. The facts do.

The interview with the controller focuses on the bottom line only. He’s a numbers guy, right?

The hooks for him are clearly:

• You will negotiate the deal (Job Component 1—no additional cost)

• The switches are cheaper to manufacture (more profit)

• You will monitor the quality (Job Component 2—no additional cost)

• You will be responsible for timely delivery (Job Component 3—no additional cost)

• You will get new manufacturing business (Job Component 4—more profit)

The controller asks you whether the cost estimator job description includes these things. You say it doesn’t, so it will have to be expanded. He says that doing so might throw off the salary-rate ranges.

You suggest a new title of “Development Analyst” and will write the job description for approval tonight. (“No need to take company time.”) He likes that because he’s a numbers guy. Everything must equal everything else.

Can you see how we adapted the basic instant interviewing technique