Describe a time when you made an unpopular decision.

Question Analysis

This question assesses your decision-making skills and your ability to stand by your decisions, even when they are not popular. The interviewer wants to understand how you handle situations where you have to make tough choices that may not initially be well-received by others. Your response should highlight your leadership, problem-solving skills, and ability to communicate effectively. Using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) will help you structure a clear and concise response.

Answer

Situation: In my previous role as a project manager, our team was working on a high-stakes project with a tight deadline. Midway through the project, it became apparent that the current approach was not yielding the desired progress, and we risked not meeting the deadline.

Task: As the project manager, I had to decide whether to continue with the existing plan, which was popular among the team, or to implement a new strategy that was less conventional but promised better results.

Action: After analyzing the situation and consulting with a few key stakeholders, I decided to shift our strategy to a more agile approach. This decision was initially unpopular, as it required the team to change their workflow and adapt to new processes quickly. I organized a meeting to explain the rationale behind the decision, addressing concerns and outlining how the new approach would help us meet the deadline more effectively.

Result: Although there was initial resistance, the team adapted to the new strategy, and we managed to complete the project on time. The success of the project led to a more open-minded culture regarding process changes and innovation within the team. Ultimately, the decision turned out to be beneficial in achieving our goals and improving team dynamics.