Tell me about the last time you made a mistake that impacted your work.
This is another question concerning your integrity and 'emotional ownership.' A person who is focused on protecting the assets of the company and the interest of the team will take responsibility for their mistakes, take measures to reduce the impact of their mistakes, and take advantage of the learning opportunity the mistake presents, to ensure the mistake is not repeated. It is an issue of integrity, taking charge of your development, and earning trust.
Here is another relevant statement from BlackRock's website on emotional ownership: "The people we serve entrust us to help them prepare for the future. Our culture is defined by the deep sense of responsibility we feel to our clients and to each other. In everything we do, from the investment performance we deliver to the technology we develop, we are emotionally invested in our clients' futures. We are equally invested in the success of our firm and our colleagues. We hold ourselves and each other to the highest standards of excellence."
How emotionally intelligent you are could be revealed through the verbal and nonverbal cues of your answer to this question. It is common for a person to relive the emotions of a memory upon recalling it. So, if you haven't learned from the experience and haven't taken ownership of it, you might narrow your eyes, fold your arms, and crinkle your eyebrows. So try to avoid any defensive behavior, posturing, movements, or gestures that could be interpreted as insecure, closed-off, unapproachable, hostile, or disinterested. You may think coming across as a strong figure could be beneficial, but true strength comes from within. Therefore, you want to come across as confident and relaxed. And remember, sharing a story of a mistake you learned from showcases your strength. No one can hold over you something you already own.
"Last year, I was pulled away from verifying some reports, which required me to compare a few documents line by line with each other. Then a more urgent priority pulled me away from that project, and I failed to track where I'd left off. When I came back to it, someone had tidied up my station. This was my fault for not protecting my work, but it required me to start over. This resulted in me losing a day's worth of work."
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