Tell me about a time when you worked with a person who did things very differently than you. How did you collaborate?
Since everyone's work style is unique, it can be challenging to collaborate with everyone 100% of the time. The interviewer wants assurance that you are a team player, regardless of personality or work style differences. The goal of your response is to describe your approach to collaborating with others while highlighting how your collaboration style will be a good match for the new team you'll be joining.
"(Situation) My fellow administrator and I approach our work very differently. I prefer mapping out the situation and putting myself on a timeline, whereas she prefers to jump right into the task. (Task) After working on a few projects together, it became apparent that we needed to find a better balance between our two working styles. (Action) I called a private meeting where we openly discussed our differences. We agreed to split our tasks up and come together at the end of each day. We also agreed to keep the lines of communication open throughout the day. (Result) So far, this approach has resulted in a more streamlined process. As different as we are from each other, we both agree that as long as we get to the end goal together, it doesn't always matter how we got there."
"(Situation) My coworker in HR had a completely different working style than me, even down to how we organized files. (Task) Tasked with a total reorganization of our digital files, I knew it was time that we learned how to mesh our two working styles. (Action) I made a list of the areas in which we worked differently from each other and sat with this person to work out our process. We divided up the tasks according to top skills and compromised on some procedures. (Result) We powered through the task and came out of the project with a much better understanding of each other."
"(Situation) I recently collaborated with a designer who had a very different style of organizing and prioritizing work. I approach my work by scheduling meetings in advance and using lists. The designer was rarely prepared for meetings and spent a great deal of time talking about their personal life. (Task) I believed that we could work well together if we had clear boundaries and expectations. As the Marketing Manager, it was up to me to outline these boundaries. (Action) I took it upon myself to speak to that person about our different styles and come to an agreement on how we could work best together. (Result) The designer agreed and ended up adopting some of my organizational tools, and I learned from this person how to better embrace last-minute changes and creative pivots."
"(Situation) When I started my current job, my direct boss did things very differently than I did. She was great with closing deals but was a tornado heading into meetings. She was always in a state of scrambling due to disorganization. (Task) It was hard to address this situation with her since she was my superior. However, I knew that my career success was also important. (Action) One day over lunch, we talked about our work stylings and how our professional styles impacted each other. (Result) We were able to cordially brainstorm ways that our styles could complement each other in the workplace. Since this conversation, we have worked harmoniously on multiple initiatives."
"(Situation) When I worked at Store X, I was one of two team leads. Since we were sharing team and management responsibilities, we often had clashing opinions. (Task) I knew that I needed to collaborate with the other shift lead since our behavior would directly impact the productivity of our sales associates. (Action) By spending time writing out our main strengths, we were able to divvy up the work according to each other's strengths. (Result) This method solved the 'too many cooks in the kitchen' issue entirely."
"(Situation) One of my colleagues and I had opposing teaching styles. (Task) This difference of opinion became an issue when we were assigned to share a split-grade class of 40 students. (Action) I worked very hard to be respectful of her love of worksheets, while I demonstrated the importance of movement and variety in the classroom. I used studies, as well as my own student's test scores, to show her how much students enjoy the approach in the classroom. Together, we agreed on some of the ways we should approach teaching these shared students. These approaches included putting a limit on the amount of desk work we assigned. I agreed to include some worksheets, and she incorporated more movement in the classroom. (Result) This compromise was a huge win for us as teachers and, most importantly, the students. Grades have increased, and friction has significantly decreased."
"(Situation) When I began my most recent role, I replaced a manager who very much believed in a dictatorship management style. (Task) It was a huge challenge to undo the damage created among the team. (Action) Without too much disruption, I implemented a more relaxed management style. My team was so used to a stringent workplace that they resisted my methods at first. (Result) Once I developed trust as their manager, we were able to create a healthy workplace culture, and productivity increased by 24%."
Answer this question by telling the interviewer about a specific time you worked with someone who approached their tasks or communication style differently than you. Outline the situation and describe why it was a challenge to collaborate with this person. Focus on describing the specific actions you took to ensure a successful collaboration.
Behavioral-based interview questions that begin with 'Tell me about a time...' are best answered using the STAR method. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Organizing your response using this framework will ensure that you provide the interviewer with the right amount of information and detail to form a compelling answer.
Avoid sounding closed-minded when discussing other people's work styles. You'll want to avoid sounding inflexible or like a know-it-all type of individual. You can prevent creating this impression by giving merit to different working styles, even if they do not match your own.
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
Currently when I am lead for a social community at my department and I working with three other colleagues in this group where our purpose is to arrange different social activities. One of these colleagues in this group she is really direct where she does not are afraid question things and processes and she can take some small initiatives without asking such as this other day she did a PowerPoint filled with information about a proposal for the managers which will approve our financial resources to a trip we are planning for the community. In the beginning I was kind of chocking of the working style she has, and it could bring some discussions between us about some things, but now I learned how she acts and talks and then I have learned how to manage her in a proper way and she has learned to still be humble and understanding with us other who has not the same working style as her. By working with an individual which has a different working style has just developed me and made me more flexible and open-minded to different work environments.
Rachelle's Feedback
It's important to be more concise, leaving out certain details that are not required for your answer to be complete.
"I am the lead for the social committee at work, along with three other colleagues. One of the members of the group was quite aggressive at first, taking the lead on most of the work and completing things at a much faster pace than necessary. At first, I was put off by their behavior; however, I learned to enjoy what a go-getter this person was. They did turn things down a notch, and we all learned how to work quite well together."