When did you last disagree with your boss or executive?

Question Analysis

This question is designed to assess your ability to handle conflicts and disagreements in a professional setting. Employers want to understand how you navigate differences of opinion with authority figures, and whether you can maintain a respectful and constructive relationship despite disagreements. It's important to show that you can communicate effectively, remain calm, and work towards a resolution that benefits the overall goals of the team or organization. Using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) will help structure your response in a clear and organized way.

Answer

Situation: In my previous role as a marketing coordinator, our team was tasked with launching a new product. My manager was keen on focusing our marketing efforts primarily on digital channels.

Task: I disagreed with this approach because I believed that a significant portion of our target demographic still engaged heavily with traditional media, and we were missing opportunities to reach them.

Action: I scheduled a meeting with my manager to discuss my concerns. I prepared data from market research and previous campaigns to support my perspective. During the meeting, I calmly presented my findings and suggested a balanced approach that included both digital and traditional media strategies.

Result: My manager appreciated the initiative and the data-driven rationale behind my suggestion. We decided to test a mixed marketing strategy, which ultimately led to a 20% increase in product reach compared to our previous campaign. This experience strengthened our communication and improved our campaign strategies in the long run.