Tell me about a time where you were unpopular thanks to a decision you imposed on your team

Question Analysis

This question is a behavioral interview question designed to assess your leadership skills, decision-making abilities, and how you handle conflict or dissent within a team. The interviewer is interested in understanding your capacity to make tough decisions, particularly those that may not be well-received by everyone. They want to see how you balance the needs of the organization or project with team dynamics. Using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method can help structure your response effectively.

Answer

Situation: In my previous role as a project manager, we faced a critical deadline that was at risk due to a bottleneck in one part of our process. The team's initial proposal to address this was not feasible given our time constraints.

Task: As the leader, I needed to decide on a course of action that would ensure we met the deadline, even though it meant asking the team to work overtime for a week, which was not a popular decision.

Action: I gathered the team for a meeting to explain the situation and the potential consequences of missing the deadline. I listened to everyone’s concerns and explained the necessity of my decision. I also offered to support the team by providing additional resources where possible and adjusted some responsibilities to share the workload more evenly.

Result: Although the decision was initially unpopular, the team came together and we successfully met the deadline. In the end, the team appreciated the transparency and support, and we were able to celebrate our success together. This experience reinforced the importance of clear communication and support when making tough decisions.