Describe how you handled a challenging situation with a colleague on the job.
Your interviewer wants to hear about your interpersonal and relationship-building skills and wants assurances you can effectively manage conflict as a member of the team. Emphasize your ability to collaborate and work well with others. Describe an occasion where your communication skills helped you navigate a difficult situation with a coworker. Focus on the steps you took to turn a potentially negative situation into a positive one. Discuss the lessons learned and the value they've provided for your career. As another of the taglines on their website says, "Do the work, and work together." All of your answers will help them evaluate how well you will fit into their culture, so take every phrase and statement of theirs to heart.
"I ran into some difficulties communicating with my professor, who offered me guidance on my thesis. Then, at a certain point, he was unresponsive to the emails or messages I sent him asking questions or for clarification. It got to the point where I was losing progress. So I directly asked him his preferred method of communication when I had questions, and I learned that he prefers phone calls and face-to-face meetings over emails or text. So, I adjusted my communication approach. I got my questions answered and no longer wasted time composing detailed emails or messages. Overall, this difficult situation taught me that it's important to determine the preferred method of communication with any professional relationship."
"I believe that direct, open communication in a friendly, assertive manner is most effective when working with my colleagues. I noticed my teammate wasn't meeting the deadlines we'd agreed upon while working on a big project for a client. I set up a meeting to revisit the deadlines, associated deliverables, and responsibilities we'd laid out beforehand. I then presented our situation and offered solutions. I focused on listening and asking questions so he wouldn't feel defensive. My teammate responded quite well to our chat, and we implemented a mutually agreed-upon plan that helped us follow through on and meet our deadlines."
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