Share a time when you had a disagreement with a teammate.

Question Analysis

This behavioral interview question is designed to assess your ability to handle conflicts and disagreements in a team setting. The interviewer wants to understand how you navigate interpersonal challenges and whether you can maintain professionalism and collaboration when disagreements arise. It's important to demonstrate your communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and capacity for empathy and understanding.

Answer

Situation: In my previous role as a project manager, we were working on a tight deadline for a client project. A teammate and I disagreed on the approach to take for the final deliverable, as I believed we should prioritize functionality, while they prioritized aesthetics.

Task: As the project manager, it was my responsibility to ensure that the project met client expectations and was delivered on time, while also maintaining a positive team dynamic.

Action: I initiated a one-on-one conversation with my teammate to understand their perspective better. I listened actively and acknowledged the importance of their viewpoint. Then, I suggested that we collaboratively find a solution that incorporated both functionality and aesthetics. We decided to hold a team meeting to brainstorm ideas and reached a consensus on a hybrid approach that satisfied both priorities.

Result: The final deliverable exceeded client expectations, combining both a robust functionality and an appealing design. This experience strengthened our team collaboration and improved our ability to handle disagreements effectively in the future.