How do you handle a dispute with a coworker or supervisor?
It is not uncommon for coworkers or supervisors to have a dispute or disagreement with someone they work with. The interviewers know this and want to see how you have handled disputes in the past. How you respond gives the interviewers insight into your problem-solving, communication, and conflict-resolution skills, which are essential skills to possess in any profession.
Provide a detailed explanation of how you handled a past disagreement with a supervisor or coworker. You do not necessarily need to describe the reason for the dispute, just how you dealt with it. The interviewers want to hear that you dealt with the conflict privately, calmly, and professionally and that there was a resolution.
"Over the years, I have found the involved parties can fix all conflicts with honest, open communication. When both parties can explain why they are bothered by something and decide how to handle the situation maturely, less conflict will likely happen in the future. Most conflicts are simply a misunderstanding or lack of communication. When I have a dispute with a coworker or supervisor, I ask to speak to them privately to discuss the matter. It is never professional to have a disagreement or conflict in front of others. Then, we talk about the issue until we can come to a mutually agreeable solution."
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
In a business environment, there is bound to be conflict and what matters is how you handle the conflict in a professional way. Therefore I have handled conflicts in a professional manner on many occasions in the past with my colleagues by requiring a private chat away from the actual activity of the business happening. This way lining up all our differences and issues to reach a mutual agreement and most importantly learn from the issues that triggered the conflict in the first place and make sure for it not to happen again.
Jaymie's Feedback
Great response! You hit the key points of effective conflict resolution, including professional and healthy confrontation, respect for your colleague, and collaboration and compromise to achieve an acceptable resolution by both parties.
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