Have you ever had to convince someone of an idea? How did you do it?
Question Analysis
This question is designed to assess your persuasion and communication skills. The interviewer wants to know if you can effectively convince others to adopt your ideas or suggestions. This involves understanding the other person’s perspective, presenting your idea clearly, and using logical reasoning and emotional appeal to gain their agreement. To answer this question effectively, you should provide a specific example from your past experience where you successfully convinced someone of your idea.
Answer
Situation: In my previous role as a project coordinator, our team was tasked with improving the efficiency of our weekly meetings, which were often running over time and lacking focus.
Task: I noticed that a structured agenda could significantly enhance our meeting productivity. However, the team leader was skeptical about the additional time required to prepare detailed agendas.
Action: To persuade the leader, I first gathered data on how much time was being lost in meetings due to lack of structure. I then created a prototype agenda for our next meeting, outlining key topics and time allocations. During a one-on-one conversation, I presented this data and explained how a structured agenda could keep us focused and save time in the long run. I also highlighted how it would allow more team members to contribute effectively by knowing in advance what topics would be discussed.
Result: The team leader agreed to trial my proposed agenda for a month. As a result, our meetings became more efficient, ending on time and with clearer action points. After seeing the positive impact, the team leader implemented the structured agenda as a standard practice for all meetings.