How do you handle a dispute with a coworker or supervisor?

Give a detailed explanation of how you handled a past disagreement with a supervisor or coworker. You do not necessarily need to describe the reason for the dispute, just how you dealt with it. The interviewer wants to hear that you dealt with the conflict privately, calmly, and professionally and that there was a resolution.

You do not want to say that you avoid or ignore disagreements or get angry when a dispute arises in the workplace. The hiring manager does not want to hear that you lack conflict resolution and communication skills. You should also avoid speaking poorly of the person you had the dispute with or placing the blame solely on the other individual. You need to be responsible and recognize your part in the conflict.

"Fortunately, I have only had one dispute with a coworker in my career. I handled it by recognizing we had an issue and asking my coworker to speak in private. I calmly asked him why he thought we had a conflict and what we could do to resolve the issue. It turns out there was a misunderstanding in our respective duties, and my coworker thought I was trying to undermine his position. Once we cleared up who was responsible for each responsibility, we never had an issue again."