What was a time when you had to disagree with the approach taken by a team member?

Question Analysis

This question is asking you to demonstrate your ability to handle conflict and disagreements in a professional setting. The interviewer is interested in how you approach differing opinions, communicate your perspective, and contribute to a resolution. They want to assess your interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and ability to work collaboratively in a team environment. The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) should be used to structure your response effectively.

Answer

Situation: In my previous role as a marketing coordinator, our team was working on a campaign for a new product launch. A team member proposed an approach for the social media strategy that heavily relied on a single platform.

Task: I believed that diversifying our platform usage would reach a wider audience and improve the campaign's effectiveness. It was important to address this disagreement in a way that would not only preserve team harmony but also enhance our project outcomes.

Action: I scheduled a meeting with the team member to discuss my concerns. During the meeting, I acknowledged the merits of their approach and explained my perspective, backing it up with data and examples from previous successful campaigns. I suggested a compromise where we could allocate a portion of the budget to explore other platforms while still focusing on their suggested platform.

Result: The team member appreciated the discussion and we decided to integrate both approaches. As a result, the campaign reached a broader audience and exceeded our engagement targets, which was recognized positively by our department head.

By handling the disagreement constructively, I was able to contribute to a successful campaign while maintaining a positive working relationship with my colleague.