How do setbacks emotionally affect you and your work?
Everyone handles the stress and disappointment of setbacks differently. Your interviewer needs to know whether, when suffering a setback, you have the emotional intelligence to learn from such experiences, or if you become agitated and stressed out, and whether such setbacks further impede your ability to do your job. As IBM details in one of its blogs, "Soft skills are skills that require a high level of EQ. They are attributes that relate more to personality and presence that allow meaningful communication to take place in the workplace, rather than technical skills." Tell the interviewer how you typically cope with a setback in the workplace, showcasing how your soft skills align with what IBM is looking for in their ideal candidates.
"Experiencing a setback is always disappointing and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback, I will take a few moments to debrief with my manager and discuss what I could have done differently. Then, I move on!"
"Setbacks happen for a reason, and they do not affect me emotionally in the least. I am a very pragmatic thinker and stay focused despite the challenges that come my way."
"I think it is important to recognize what you are feeling and face those feelings head-on when you experience them. If you don't, it could inadvertently affect your performance in ways you aren't aware of. So, when I suffer a setback, I know it affects me. So I allow myself a moment to process those emotions, determine why I am experiencing them, and acknowledge them in real time. The last thing I want is to be confused by them. So I process, then I try to objectify those emotions, and then objectify the situation, and learn what I can from the experience as a whole. This is not always easy, but I feel it is always necessary."
