Tell us about a conflict you experienced at work.
"There was a coworker who was clocking in late to work. The staff gave them cross looks when they snuck in. I'd given them a heads-up a few times, trying to be helpful. I even offered some tips and tricks to manage their time to avoid arriving at work late, but they kept reiterating that it wasn't their fault that the bus raced by their stop early two weeks in a row. The next time they were late, the very next day, they got written up. Well, they were pretty upset and blamed me for 'ratting them out'. I did nothing of the sort. But I let them accuse me, and when they were done, I responded by asking them why they thought I brought this upon them. I objectified the situation, asked them several questions without proclaiming my innocence. I then mirrored their statements and asked in a clarifying way that the reasons they listed was what led them to believe I brought their attendance issues to management. I then said, that's an interesting conclusion to come up with based on that evidence, and I left it at that. Later, they came up and apologized and asked me again for those suggestions to help them manage their time. As good of an ending as I could hope for, I guess."
You may think trying to come across as strong through your posture is a good idea here, but it will betray your narrative. The assessment vendor's algorithm will study your non-verbal cues for any defensive posturing, movements, or gestures that could be interpreted as insecure, closed-off, unapproachable, hostile, or disinterested while you recall your conflict experience. Therefore, you want to come across as confident and relaxed, as emotionally mature and not regressing into the emotion of that conflict when reflecting upon it. True strength comes from within.
Objectify the situation, exhibiting an emotionally mature perspective, and how you navigated this terrain, ultimately leading to a successful resolution. Focus on the positives and how the overall outcome benefitted the team. Practice. Make eye contact and smile, posturing yourself in a relaxed and comfortable position.
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