Tell me about a time when you made an unpopular decision

Question Analysis

The question "Tell me about a time when you made an unpopular decision" is a behavioral interview question designed to assess your decision-making skills, leadership qualities, and ability to handle conflict. It seeks insight into how you stand by your decisions, even when they are not widely accepted. The interviewer is interested in understanding your reasoning process, how you communicate unpopular decisions, and how you address any resulting challenges or opposition.

Answer

Situation: In my previous role as a project manager, I was overseeing a critical project that was behind schedule. The team was working overtime, but progress was still slow, and morale was low.

Task: As the project leader, I needed to make a decision to improve efficiency and boost team morale, while also meeting the project deadlines.

Action: After analyzing the situation, I decided to implement a mandatory Friday afternoon team-building session. This was initially unpopular because it reduced the time available to catch up on work. However, I communicated the long-term benefits, emphasizing improved teamwork and stress reduction. I also assured the team that we would reassess the decision in a few weeks based on our progress.

Result: Although the decision was initially met with resistance, within three weeks, the team's collaboration improved significantly, and morale was notably higher. We began to meet our project milestones more consistently, and the project was eventually completed on time. The team-building sessions became a valued part of our routine, proving the decision to be beneficial in the long run.