Have you ever faced a situation where you and your manager had different opinions about something? How did you approach it?

Question Analysis

This question seeks to understand how you handle disagreements with authority figures, such as your manager. It tests your conflict resolution skills, communication abilities, and whether you can maintain professionalism in challenging situations. The interviewer is interested in your approach to resolving differences and whether you can navigate these situations without escalating conflict.

Answer

Situation: At my previous job, my manager and I differed on the approach to a project deadline. My manager wanted to rush the project to meet an early deadline, while I believed that taking additional time would enhance the quality of the work.

Task: My task was to ensure that the project met the quality standards expected by our clients while also respecting my manager's concern about the timing.

Action: I approached my manager and requested a meeting to discuss our differing viewpoints. During the meeting, I respectfully presented data and examples from previous projects that demonstrated how additional time had led to higher quality results and customer satisfaction. I also listened to my manager's concerns about the deadline and acknowledged the importance of meeting client expectations promptly.

Result: After discussing, we reached a compromise. We adjusted the timeline slightly to allow for a brief additional review period, which enabled us to maintain quality without significantly impacting the deadline. This outcome not only strengthened our working relationship but also resulted in a successful project delivery that met both quality and time expectations.