Think about a difficult boss, professor or coworker. What made him or her difficult? How did you successfully interact with this person?
Show the interviewer that you work well with most personalities even though you recognize there are some folks out there who are quite difficult to please.
Think about that one person at work who is seen as hard to please. Perhaps there is someone at work who tries to intimidate others. Talk to the interviewer about what made this person challenging and what their relationship was to you. Avoid speaking poorly of anyone and be sure to end your response on a positive note.
"I once worked at a locally owned shop where the owner was very demanding. When the owner would walk into the store, employees would announce over their headset system that the owner was in the building, so that everyone could be prepared for his entrance into their department. The owner had great intentions; however, his people skills were a little rough. I could see that he meant well, and I recognized that he wanted to do a lot of good things. When we interacted, I always took his feedback with the understanding that he didn't mean things as harshly as he might say them."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
I had a first-class petty officer who was due to take over for my supervisor upon his departure. This petty officer had it set in his mind that he was going to rid the ship of all the east coast sailors. I asked my previous supervisor to send me to another division.
Amanda's Feedback
It sounds like this was a difficult situation that you successfully removed yourself from. However, it's not always possible to avoid a difficult boss or coworker. With this question, the interviewer is seeking insight into how you adapt to successfully interact with someone who is difficult when you have to continue working together. You can use this question to show the interviewer that you can work well with almost anyone. Make sure to avoid speaking negatively of anyone, and be sure to end your response with a positive. Because this is a situational question, consider using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to provide a story-based example. This ensures that you give the right amount of information and detail to create a compelling and memorable answer.
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