Share a time when you had a disagreement with a member of your team.

Question Analysis

This behavioral interview question is designed to assess your conflict resolution skills and your ability to work effectively within a team. The interviewer is interested in understanding how you handle disagreements, whether you can communicate effectively, and if you can find a resolution that benefits the team and the project. The key here is to demonstrate your interpersonal skills, problem-solving abilities, and your capacity to maintain a positive working relationship despite disagreements.

Answer

Situation: In my previous role as a project manager, our team was tasked with developing a new feature for our software product. During a planning meeting, I had a disagreement with one of our senior developers regarding the technical approach we should take. The developer wanted to use a new, untested technology, while I believed sticking to our current, well-understood technology would be safer given our tight deadlines.

Task: My task was to ensure that we chose the best approach for the project while maintaining team cohesion and keeping the project on schedule.

Action: I first acknowledged the developer’s enthusiasm for trying innovative solutions and set up a separate meeting to discuss our options in more detail. During the meeting, I encouraged the developer to present the benefits of the new technology. I also shared my concerns about the potential risks and impact on the project timeline. Together, we weighed the pros and cons, considering both the project's requirements and the team's capacity to learn and implement the new technology.

Result: Ultimately, we reached a compromise. We decided to pilot the new technology in a smaller, less critical part of the project to evaluate its effectiveness without jeopardizing the overall timeline. This approach allowed us to innovate while managing risk. The developer appreciated having their ideas considered, and the team was able to move forward with a clear plan. This experience strengthened our team's collaborative spirit and improved our problem-solving process for future projects.