Can you tell me about a time when you disagreed with a team member's approach?

Question Analysis

This question is designed to assess your conflict resolution skills, teamwork, and ability to handle disagreements professionally. The interviewer wants to understand how you approach differences in opinion, your communication skills, and your ability to maintain a positive working relationship even when there are disagreements. Using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) will help you structure your response effectively.

Answer

Situation: In my previous role as a project manager, we were working on launching a new product. During one of our planning meetings, a team member proposed a marketing strategy that I felt was not aligned with our target audience's preferences.

Task: My task was to ensure that the proposed strategy was optimized for our target market while maintaining team cohesion and fostering a collaborative environment.

Action: I scheduled a follow-up meeting with the team member to discuss my concerns privately. I expressed appreciation for their efforts and explained my perspective, backed by market research data. I also encouraged them to share more about their approach to understand their viewpoint better. Together, we brainstormed alternative strategies that combined elements of both our ideas.

Result: As a result, we developed a hybrid strategy that was more effective and better suited to our audience. The product launch was successful, and we received positive feedback from our customers. Additionally, the process improved our team collaboration and strengthened our working relationship.