How do you handle the pressure of holding a management role? Give me an example of when you have succeeded under stress and pressure.

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The interviewer wants a specific example of a time when you have succeeded under stress and pressure. By providing a real-life story-based example, you allow the interviewer to imagine your approach in action. As a Manager, you will find yourself in situations that cause stress or pressure. These situations could include last-minute deadlines, unexpected roadblocks, human resources issues, customer disputes, and more. Your ability to manage stress will directly influence your ability to do your job successfully and be a good example to the team members you lead.

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.

"As a Manager, I fully expect to be put into stressful situations and can professionally handle a broad scope of pressure. I remain calm when facing a stressful situation and look for ways to solve the issue swiftly. For instance, I recently encountered a customer dispute. My team member felt flustered, and, as the manager on the floor at that time, I needed to step in. I quickly diffused the issue by asking the customer what they needed to solve the problem. This question made the customer feel listened to and important and often solves the core issue. The situation was resolved, and my team member thanked me for being so great with unruly customers. I also took the opportunity to train this person on my favorite method for dispute resolution. I am always ready to adjust my day because stressful situations are bound to occur when working in a service-based industry."

Anonymous Answer

"I am calm by nature and do not feel pressure whatever may be the work environment. It helps me to communicate well, conduct the review meetings, and make good progress with the programs keeping in view the end goals. Most of the unexpected situations I faced are when the customers change the specifications of a product in the middle of the program. I addressed them as much as possible, in the case when we could not meet the new requirements, it was conveyed to the customer politely."

Marcie's Feedback

This is a good response! Reminding the interviewer that you are naturally calm is a great idea. Consider, however, adding more specifics to the example you've provided. The interviewer will be looking for one clear example so talk about a particular time when a customer changed their specification requirements in the midst of the project and explain how you successfully handled this as a manager. The more details you can give, the better!

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Anonymous Answer

"Supply chain constraints are at an all-time high right now, creating a lot of stress and pressure for material requests. As a supervisor in the warehouse, there are multiple on-site contractors requesting materials that are in short supply. With the long lead times and working through material constraints, communication between departments to release the materials for the projects need to be clear. I created a spreadsheet that shows our most critical supplies. We now require the contractors to get approval from our Construction department before we release any material. This allows the Construction department to prioritize their projects and the spreadsheet shows how much materials are remaining after release."