Describe a situation in which you had a different opinion, and you had to defend it.
The core of the phrasing of this question revolves around communication. So this is less about getting others to bow to your will, or that of winning a debate, and more about how you successfully communicate your vision in an effective way that persuades others to share your vision towards innovation and positive change.
Details are far less important than the presentation of analytical ability and strategic thought. So take this into consideration when communicating your answer to the interviewer, with the aim of fully conveying your point of view.
"I was working with a team leader that was spearheading a project of their own making. They had several suggestions for a way of going about executing a workplace policy to expedite some practices. They pitched it, and our management liked their suggestion and assigned the task of implementing these ideas into practice. I was selected by management to join their team. I was the only person assigned and not chosen by the person leading the project. I suspect this made them a little insecure, as they shot down all my ideas and presented defensiveness from the start. I had several suggestions based on the analytics that I deemed necessary to help them succeed. But they refused to give me an audience. So, I created a project proposal where I drafted these suggestions in a document, breaking down the pros and cons of my suggestions, and thoroughly arguing what I thought were the benefits of these considerations. I made three copies and saved them. I later found the draft in their trash bin. This was disappointing, and I found myself simply handling reports and presentations for the project leader, basically, I was assigned tasks that wasted my skills. At the end of the project, they presented all their materials to management, and they asked them why they hadn't covered X, Y, and Z, which were all the points I covered in my draft. They didn't have the answers. Then management pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and said they found my project proposal in the trash and asked if they'd read it, and why they threw it away. It was an uncomfortable moment. I took every avenue I could to help them, having anticipated this. The person accused me of throwing them under the bus, but when it was confirmed I hadn't, by another employee who was present when the manager recovered my project proposal, which I wasn't present for, this person later apologized, and asked for my help with the project moving forward."
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