How do you handle conflict within a team setting?
"I currently manage a mission-critical operations team. I am required to resolve conflicts as quickly and efficiently as possible. I remain calm and work with everyone involved to understand the details of the issue. I then work with my team to brainstorm solution options and identify a value-based plan to resolve the conflict. There are times when there is very little time to analyze the details, and I have to make the call on behalf of our team. In those instances, I make sure my team knows that my decisions are not personal and it is my responsibility to keep us moving forward using my best judgment.
In an educational setting, I use the same calm and empathetic approach. However, I usually find myself working as a facilitator to make sure everyone is heard and that the group stays focused on looking for the best way to solve the problem."
The purpose of this question is twofold in an MBA interview. First, your interviewer wants to know more about how you handle conflict professionally. Second, your interviewer wants to know if you are prepared to address potential conflicts that may arise while working in teams at Kellogg. Show them that you are a leader and willing to face conflict with empathy and confidence.
Your response should be a clear demonstration of your leadership skills during difficult times. However, I want to be clear that showing leadership during conflict does not necessarily mean that you have to 'take charge' of the situation. Team conflicts are owned by the team as a whole; everyone involved can be a leader while working to resolve them.
MBA programs are full of natural leaders, and you need to be prepared to take a facilitative approach to conflict resolution. Authoritative approaches are likely to fail in the peer-based team setting you will be working in frequently at Kellogg.
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