How to Answer: Tell me about a time when you tried to encourage a fellow team member. Was the encouragement well received?
12. Tell me about a time when you tried to encourage a fellow team member. Was the encouragement well received?
How to Answer
The interviewer would like to know that you can successfully motivate others without it coming across as condescending. For this question, use a scenario when your encouragement was well received and resulted in a positive change or outcome.
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.
Written by Rachelle Enns on June 11th, 2020
Answer Example
"(Situation) Our business development lead was stressing out last month because she was only 88% to quota with just three days left in the month. (Task) As the BD Manager, I knew that I had some knowledge that I could pass along to her. (Action) I sat with her for a few hours, and we brainstormed some lucrative ideas to implement for quick results. (Result) She ended up closing the month at 104% and had an amazing ramp up to the next month. I believe that encouragement can come in many forms. In this instance, she just needed some fresh ideas."
Written by Rachelle Enns on June 11th, 2020
Admin
"(Situation) At Company ABC, I noticed a team member struggling with some computer-based tasks. She struggled with answering emails, understanding meeting requests, and monitoring her calendar. (Task) As the head Administrator, I knew that I was the best person to help her. (Action) After seeing that she was getting frustrated quickly, I verbally encouraged her to stick with it. I also offered her some step-by-step instructions on how to make the tasks easier to perform. (Result) She appreciated the encouragement, and her productivity and understanding improved substantially."
Written by Rachelle Enns on June 11th, 2020
Manager
"(Situation) When I first joined my current company, the employees had minimal direction. (Task) As the newly appointed Manager, I saw an opportunity to implement regular performance meetings and regular reviews. (Action) I quickly implemented monthly one-on-one meetings with each team member. These meetings are to discuss what the team is doing right and how they feel about their growth and performance. (Result) Morale has increased significantly as the team members feel encouraged. Everyone is more reliable, productivity is up by 45%, and retention has improved significantly."
Written by Rachelle Enns on June 11th, 2020
Marketing
"(Situation) At Company ABC, we added a junior marketer on the team who was a bit of an introvert. This marketer had great ideas but was tentative about bringing them up in meetings. (Task) This junior marketer was working on a project that I was heading up, so I saw it as an opportunity to be a mentor. (Action) We spent some time together, running over her ideas and building up her confidence when it came to speaking up. (Result) I believe she learned an important career lesson on self-advocacy."
Written by Rachelle Enns on June 11th, 2020
Retail
"(Situation) In my current role, we hired a retail sales member who wasn't reaching his targets at first. (Task) I am a strong sales associate, so I felt a desire to take him under my wing. (Action) I encouraged his efforts, gave him some sales closing tips, and provided guidance to get the ball rolling. (Result) After three months, this associate was surpassing his sales targets. He was thankful for my help, and my manager was pleased to see me go the extra mile as well."
Written by Rachelle Enns on June 11th, 2020
Sales
"(Situation) Recently, one of my teammates was going to quit due to frustrations associated with missing sales targets. (Task) I am one of the longer-standing Sales Associates with the company, so I felt that my input would be helpful. (Action) I helped him to put SMART goals into place, a goal-setting framework that I had recently learned. (Result) This method allowed him to understand how to hit his targets, and he has excelled ever since. It is great to see him turn around so well."
Written by Rachelle Enns on June 11th, 2020
Teacher
"(Situation) I often support fellow teachers who feel discouraged when a student isn't performing. (Task) As one of the Learning Leaders, this encouragement is one of my favorite aspects of work. (Action) Just yesterday, I had a meeting with two teachers who were struggling with a challenging student. I actively listened and then offered a couple of behavioral-management suggestions they could easily implement in their classroom. (Result) The meeting was well-received, and each of the teachers sent me a thank-you email right away."
Written by Rachelle Enns on June 11th, 2020
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"¢ T: We needed to find a method that allowed everybody an equal voice.
"¢ A: We used a method called the paper snowball. This is when you write your answer down, scrunch up your paper, make eye contact with someone, throw the paper at them. Everyone read what was written on the paper they received.
"¢ R: This allowed some students to remain involved and build their confidence to speak, as through these exercises we sent a message that everyone's voice is important here. As they became more confident, they started talking, and it just showed me how important it is to make everyone on a team to feel a part of the process."
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