How do you diffuse a difficult or tense situation at work?
Stress and fast-paced work environments can cause people to feel overwhelmed and sometimes even angry or upset. At Jacobs, tense situations can even occur while working in dangerous environments. There's no one right answer to this question as long as your approach is positive and effective. Here are some examples to consider:
- lightening the mood through humor
- taking a break to allow everyone time to cool down
- focusing on the facts of the situation
- brainstorming alternative solutions
- developing ground rules
- reminding the team of shared values
"I would say that I use my sense of humor often at work but in a good-natured way. Poking fun or adding a sense of sarcasm seems to make things a bit lighter and more fun on the floor. It allows everyone to shake off whatever's bringing us down and move on to the next issue to tackle."
"My go-to method for diffusing a difficult or tense situation at work is to ask everyone to take a quick break. Stepping away momentarily allows the parties involved to calm themselves and gain perspective before jumping back into whatever caused the tension."
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 am serious about performing the project activities on time and within the defined budget, but generally, I am able to use my sense of humor in the right situations and try to ease the environment and reduce stress. By doing this, everybody, including me can concentrate better on finding different ways to overcome the situation.
I have been using this in challenging meetings with clients where everybody focused on the problem and did not hear to another side. In these situations, I told a funny anecdote that matched the situation. In fact, I cut the challenge indirectly and make a smile on everybody's lips!
Amanda's Feedback
Great response! Your answer shows that you know when it's appropriate to utilize humor in the workplace.
