Share with me a time when you disagreed with a team member's approach.

Question Analysis

This question is designed to assess your ability to handle conflict and disagreement in a team setting. The interviewer wants to understand how you communicate, negotiate, and maintain professional relationships when differences arise. It's crucial to show that you can handle disagreements constructively and find solutions that benefit the team. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your response clearly and effectively.

Answer

Situation: In my previous role as a project manager, our team was tasked with developing a new feature for our software product. During a team meeting, a colleague proposed an approach that I believed would not align with our timeline and resource constraints.

Task: As the project manager, it was my responsibility to ensure that the team worked efficiently and within the given constraints while also addressing any potential issues that could arise from different approaches.

Action: I decided to address the disagreement by first understanding my colleague's perspective. I arranged a separate meeting to discuss their approach in detail. I listened actively and acknowledged the benefits of their proposal. I then presented my concerns regarding the timeline and resources, providing data and past experiences to support my points. Together, we discussed potential compromises and adjustments that could incorporate the strengths of their idea without derailing the project.

Result: As a result of this constructive discussion, we developed a hybrid approach that leveraged the innovative aspects of my colleague’s idea while staying within our project constraints. This not only improved our team's productivity but also strengthened our professional relationship, as we both felt heard and respected. The feature was delivered on time and received positive feedback from stakeholders.