Did you ever make a decision that did not go as planned? What did you learn from this experience?

Question Analysis

This question is designed to assess your problem-solving skills, adaptability, and ability to learn from past experiences. The interviewer wants to understand how you handle setbacks and what you take away from situations that don't go as planned. It's important to demonstrate self-awareness and a proactive approach to learning and improvement. Using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) will help structure your response effectively.

Answer

Situation: In my previous role as a project manager, I was tasked with leading a team to implement a new software tool intended to streamline our workflow. The project had a tight deadline, and the tool was expected to be operational within two months.

Task: My responsibility was to oversee the project execution, ensure team collaboration, and meet the deadline without compromising on quality.

Action: I decided to fast-track the implementation process by overlapping some phases, like testing and training, to save time. I believed this approach would help us meet the deadline. However, I underestimated the learning curve for the team and the time required for thorough testing.

Result: As a result, the initial deployment had several issues, and we had to spend additional weeks troubleshooting and retraining the team. This delay impacted other scheduled projects and led to some dissatisfaction among team members.

Learning: From this experience, I learned the importance of realistic project planning and the need to allocate adequate time for testing and training. I also realized the value of involving the team in decision-making to gain a better understanding of their needs and capabilities. Since then, I've adopted a more collaborative approach, ensuring each step is thoroughly vetted and team input is considered before making critical decisions.