I'd like you to share an experience when you disagreed with a team member's approach.

Question Analysis

This question is designed to assess your conflict resolution skills, ability to work in a team, and how you handle disagreements professionally. The interviewer is looking to understand how you approach conflicts and whether you can effectively communicate and collaborate with others despite differences in opinion. To answer this question effectively, you should use the STAR method, which stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result, to structure your response.

Answer

Situation: During a project at my previous job, our team was tasked with developing a new feature for our product. A team member proposed an approach that involved using a new technology that I believed was not suitable for our existing tech stack.

Task: My responsibility was to ensure that the project proceeded smoothly and that any new technology integrated well with our current system without causing delays or technical issues.

Action: I scheduled a meeting with my colleague to discuss my concerns. I prepared data and examples to illustrate potential issues with the proposed technology. During the meeting, I clearly expressed my viewpoint and listened to their reasoning. We had an open and respectful discussion, where I also suggested alternative solutions that aligned better with our tech stack.

Result: Through our discussion, we reached a consensus to conduct a short feasibility analysis. This allowed us to evaluate both the new technology and my proposed solutions. Ultimately, the analysis showed that my suggested approach was more efficient and less risky, which we then implemented successfully. This experience not only reinforced the importance of open communication but also strengthened our team's ability to collaboratively solve problems.