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Rachelle Enns
Rachelle is a job search expert, career coach, and headhunter who helps everyone from students to fortune 500 executives find success in their career.
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What steps would you take to make an important decision on the job?
TIPS TO PREPARE
TOP ANSWERS
OUR COACH SAYS
As an employee, your decisions affect others. It's important to express to the interview team at Boeing that you recognize the weight of your responsibility, whether you are managing a team or leading by example within your organization. Write out the steps that you consider when making an important decision. Prepare yourself by thinking of examples of when you were faced with a difficult decision.
Example #1
"Whenever I am making an important decision, I question how the company will benefit. I also check to make sure the decision is in line with the company's values. It's important to consider how the decision will impact the company. I take steps to address these factors before I decide what needs to happen next."
Anonymous Answer
"When making an important decision, its important to get buy-in. Engage others in the know whether they would agree with the decision. I would consider the possible consequences, risks and value to the project ultimately to the company.
So before making a decision, mitigate risks where possible, communicate with others involved, get buy-in and have a plan in place for possible outcomes - have a plan B."
Kristine's Reply
Great response! You show you would approach the decision carefully and you value the input of others. I reworded your answers slightly for clarity.
Kristine's Reply
"When making an important decision, it's important to get buy-in. I would engage others to know whether they would agree with the decision. I would also consider the possible consequences, risks, and value to the company. So before making a decision, I would mitigate risks where possible, communicate with others involved, get buy-in, and have a plan in place for possible outcomes, including a plan B."
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Anonymous Answer
"In my last role, I had to make a decision as to whether to keep an employee. I was careful to ensure that I understood the context about the decision. I consulted those who would be affected by the decision to determine the most likely consequences. I then made the decision which was to terminate and recruit a new person. This went down well with the team and my boss."
Lauren's Reply
Great example; you sought several avenues to arrive at a final decision, which demonstrates tact. I would caution the way you explain “[consulting] with those who would be affected.” You don’t want this to be viewed as office gossip or discussing sensitive HR issues with the person’s coworkers versus discussing the situation with other team leaders and managers (which is acceptable).
Lauren's Reply
"There was a time when I need to weigh the pros and cons of terminating an employee. Time and sensitivity was needed to review the implications and arrive at the most logical decision. I explored all possible options, and consulted with proper staff. Ultimately, terminating the employee and hiring a new person was the right decision for staff culture and morale."
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Anonymous Answer
"I would take the time to consider if the decision was appropriate for the business. One occasion in the last year, we had a client who was particularly challenging even before we had signed contracts. They had two members of staff running around trying to get a quote out. In the end, I weighed the pros and cons of working with this client in the future and decided that it would not be cost-effective. Therefore I presented my case to the CEO, and she agreed not to pursue the deal."
Rachelle's Reply
A fantastic example of your ability to think critically and also to look at current behaviors as grounds for future action. It sounds as though you can make very wise decisions on the job.
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Anonymous Answer
"It’s important to think through the consequences and take emotion out of the equation to the extent possible. I recently had an upset employee tell me he was only going to perform a specific type of order. I took a breath and explained to him that I value his contribution, but if he were unwilling to accomplish the tasks assigned to him, I would regretfully terminate his employment. This truth sobered him up, and he explained he was frustrated and would, of course, accomplish the work assigned."
Rachelle's Reply
Well, that would be enough to sober someone up! It's excellent that you are so forthright with your team while still being pragmatic about the situation.
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Anonymous Answer
"When I make a decision, I think about the impact on the company and the group involved. I make sure that the decision I make provides benefits for the company. For example, when we implemented the Inventory template for accounting, I worked with them to ensure that the product replaced the manual process adequately."
Rachelle's Reply
You give some excellent examples of your work in motion, which any interviewer will appreciate. Good methodology behind your decision making.
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Anonymous Answer
"When I am making an important decision on the job, I think about how it will help or hinder the company. If I believe it will hinder the company, then there is no real decision to make. My job is to help and not harm the company and move them in a better direction toward success."
Rachelle's Reply
These are very insightful questions to ask yourself in the decision making process!
Rachelle's Reply
"When I am making an important decision I will first think about how each action will benefit or hinder the company. If one path hindered the company, I would choose the other option. My job is to help the company move in a better direction, and to be successful."
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Anonymous Answer
"When I'm making an important decision, I think about how it will affect the company. And how others will interpret this decision outside my department. I would research previous topics and most likely try to get feedback before I published anything."
Rachelle's Reply
You exercise good judgment and decision making skills. The fact that you would look to previous situations/topics is also very smart.
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More Interview Q&As
Explore expert tips and resources to be more confident in your next interview.
Behavioral
Common
Phone
Tough
Leadership
All Interview Topics
All Career Q&As
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