Tell me about a time when you took charge of a meeting. Was the outcome a positive one?
"(Situation) Just last week, my boss had a personal emergency and could not make it in time for our monthly staff meeting. (Task) Everyone gathered, and so he called to ask me to take control of the meeting. (Action) I feel that I did a great job relaying the information in a way that was visual and easy to absorb. (Result) My boss was thankful for the way that I was able to step in."
"(Situation) I host a brief team huddle every day and co-host slightly larger meetings every month and quarter. (Task) There are times when, as the Sales Floor Manager, I am reporting that we missed a goal or have mandatory overtime. Those meetings are not quite as happy and upbeat. (Action) To ensure that the right point is made, but that the situation still ends on a productive note, I will also discuss what we are doing right. I also ask the team to contribute their thoughts and ideas to help us to improve. (Result) By deploying this approach to meetings, most of them have a positive outcome."
"(Situation) In my last role, I identified the need for ongoing learning and training. (Task) As the Sales Manager, I thought it would be a good idea if I held a 'lunch and learn' meeting focused on building a stronger sales pipeline. (Action) I created a visual presentation in PowerPoint and added stats and quotes from industry experts. (Results) We saw a 25% increase in sales activity the following week. I plan to do another presentation in the next couple of months."
"(Situation) When freelancing, I was on a call collaborating with my clients' marketing director and freelance graphic designer. (Task) It seemed as though each person was going to defer accountability to the other person since there wasn't a leader. Their marketing director should have been it, but she was never a person to take control of a meeting. (Action) So, rather than go around in circles some more, I stepped up to take charge of the meeting. (Result) I am certain that the meeting was a success as the outcome was clear directives for all members of the team. That particular project had the highest ROI to date for my client."
"(Situation) In my previous role, the company required department-specific meetings before the start of each day. (Task) As the Manager of the IT team, I met with the direct reports in my department every day. (Action) The meetings focused on the days' activities and weekly metrics that would make or break project timelines. I utilized the time in these meetings very effectively. (Result) As a result, my team was always on track with project expectations."
"(Situation) Students, parents, and teachers must be all on the same page when it comes to a students' learning plan. (Task) As a teacher, I take charge of parent-teacher meetings regularly. (Action) In these meetings, I am specific, I provide feedback based on grades and facts, and give measurable goals for improvement. (Result) As a result, the parents of my students are more engaged in their child's' learning plan, and my students perform better."
The interviewer would like to know that you have the confidence to lead a meeting. Think about a time when you have conducted a successful meeting - big or small. This example could be a phone meeting, a lunch and learn, or an extensive client presentation.
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.
"(Situation) My employer asked me to lead a 'lunch and learn' meeting to train 15 employees on our new client management software. (Task) I was already a subject matter expert on the software, so it wasn't difficult for me to plan the lesson. The challenge was making the content entertaining enough to keep the employees engaged. (Action) I created a PowerPoint presentation that included pop quiz questions throughout the performance. (Result) The presentation was a success, and my employer asked me to lead a follow up meeting a few weeks later."
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 started the morning meeting in my previous role. This acted as the catalyst for improved delivery performance up from 58% to 95%.
Lauren's Feedback
This is a fantastic response! I provided a follow-up question you may be asked.
Possible follow-up question: "What about your delivery of morning meetings do you believe impacted the performance to jump from 58% to 95%?"
Anonymous Answer
In my previous position as a Senior Accountant, I was the primary contact person with the bank. I scheduled a meeting with them to review our overall business relationship. In the session, I discussed the low levels of service and high fees charged by the bank. By the end of the meeting, the bank's manager agreed to reduce the monthly Account Maintenance Fee by 25%. My manager complimented me on the effort.
Rachelle's Feedback
That sounds like significant savings - you should be very proud! This is an excellent example of taking charge and being an effective negotiator.
Anonymous Answer
As an Interim Administrator, I led several Special Education meetings with parents and other stakeholders. Also, I led meetings while in Human Resources, and I spoke to the Annual Teacher of the Year and retirement programs.
Rachelle's Feedback
These are great examples of taking the lead! Can you speak a bit further regarding the outcome, or what you learned/gained from the experience?
Anonymous Answer
Recently the directors and I had a meeting with six students who were not getting along with another student. These students intended to quit the program. During the meeting, we were not making any real progress, and I could see the students were in real pain about the situation. I asked the director if I could address the students. I asked them if they could identify the cause of their pain. As they shared, I realized that none of these students had good emotional coping skills. I then asked if they would like me to do a workshop to help them deal with their emotions and to resolve conflict. They agreed, and as a result, all six stayed with the program.
Rachelle's Feedback
Good for you! This example is a perfect instance of taking a difficult situation and turning it into a positive one by asking the right questions and deploying strong levels of EQ.
Anonymous Answer
As the Budget Analyst, I had to lead the Manager and Supervisors of the Division in a monthly meeting. I was able to keep the group on task and focused. I was able to successfully obtain the information needed from the attendees to present the collected information to the next level of Management.
Stephanie's Feedback
The specific example is great!
Anonymous Answer
Yes, we have opportunities to lead our department meetings, and I covered current topics that went very well.
Marcie's Feedback
That's great that you've had the opportunity to lead department meetings that went well! But you'll definitely want to give the interviewer some more details here. Discuss one meeting in particular and talk about some of the topics that you covered, as well as what the outcome of the meeting was. Did you establish an action plan that was later carried out? Did you successfully train your team members on a new tool? Did you go over any new policies? Give some more details to further flesh out your answer.
Anonymous Answer
rmca vision
Marcie's Feedback
Include more details here so the interviewer gets a full picture of what happened. Use the STAR (situation, task, action, result) method to explain what the situation was, what you needed to accomplish, what you did, and what the outcome was.
Anonymous Answer
In my current role, I am the focal point between the end-user and raw materials suppliers. I used to lead the meeting with end-user to review the supplier performance and also lead the weekly commercial discussions. In addition, I am a member of the raw materials committee and I prepare the meeting agenda and minutes of the meeting.
Stephanie's Feedback
Great start! It is evident that your current role has given you substantial experience in leading meetings. To strengthen this response, I suggest adding a couple of additional sentences to illustrate how your leadership during these meetings has contributed to creating positive outcomes. What improves in the work as a result of these meetings? How do you facilitate that happening?
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