If you ever made an unpopular decision, tell me about that

Question Analysis

This question is designed to assess your decision-making skills, leadership abilities, and how you handle conflict or resistance from others. Employers are interested in understanding whether you can make tough decisions when necessary, even if those decisions are unpopular. They want to see if you can stand by your choices while also managing and communicating effectively with your team or peers. The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is a useful framework to structure your response, ensuring it is clear and comprehensive.

Answer

Situation: In my previous role as a project manager, we were tasked with delivering a critical project under a tight deadline. Midway through the project, it became evident that the current approach was not sustainable and was leading to significant delays.

Task: As the project manager, it was my responsibility to evaluate the situation and make a decision that would ensure the successful completion of the project on time, even if it meant altering established plans.

Action: After analyzing the project workflow and consulting with my team, I decided to reassign some tasks and implement a new project management tool to improve efficiency. This decision was initially unpopular because it required the team to adapt to new processes and work longer hours temporarily. I communicated the reasons for the change clearly and provided additional support and training to help the team transition smoothly.

Result: Although the decision was not well-received at first, it ultimately led to a more organized workflow and improved team productivity. We were able to meet the project deadline, and the new processes we put in place continued to benefit the team in future projects. My decision was later acknowledged as necessary and beneficial, and it strengthened my reputation as a decisive and effective leader.