Give an example of when you made a decision that was unpopular.

Question Analysis

This question is designed to assess your decision-making skills, leadership abilities, and how you handle resistance or conflict. The interviewer is interested in understanding your reasoning process, how you manage change, and your ability to stand by your decisions, even when they are not well-received. They want to see if you can provide a clear rationale for your choices and demonstrate resilience and effective communication in challenging situations.

Answer

Situation: In my previous role as a project manager, our team was tasked with launching a new software feature. The timeline was tight, and while most team members wanted to focus on the user interface first, I decided it was crucial to prioritize backend stability.

Task: My responsibility was to ensure that the project was completed on time without compromising the software's reliability. This meant focusing on the less visible but critical aspects of the project, which was initially unpopular among my team who wanted to showcase visible progress.

Action: I held a team meeting to explain my decision. I outlined the potential risks of not addressing backend stability, such as the likelihood of future bugs and increased support queries that could delay the project even further. I listened to the team's concerns and incorporated their feedback where possible, emphasizing the importance of a solid foundation for sustainable success.

Result: Although the decision was initially met with resistance, once the backend was stable, the team was able to integrate the user interface enhancements more efficiently. The project was completed on schedule with minimal post-launch issues. In the end, the team acknowledged that the decision contributed to the project's success and understood the importance of balancing immediate desires with long-term stability.