Most people I coach find this question particularly challenging. They assume that the interviewer is looking for an example of a highly charged situation where there’s a complete breakdown of a relationship.
Relax, your examples don’t need to have Hollywood style plots and drama. The key to answering this question well is simply replacing the world conflict with disagreement.
Competency questions are still hugely popular and form part of most interviews. Whilst recent research has questioned their value in predicting success in fast moving environments (Harvard Business Review Feb 10th 2016), you’d be well advised to anticipate competency questions and have examples to hand.
Here’s a few things to consider in the lead up to your interview:
Be strategic with your examples:
Review the last 5 years in your job, identify your biggest wins and build your examples around them. Choose examples that most closely align with your target role. For promotion interviews, try to choose examples where you’ve already “acted up” in your role – eg where you’ve deputised for your manager or taken a lead role in a project.
Once an employer is satisfied that you can do the job, they will focus their attention on your communication skills. Specifically they’ll want to know how you’ll interact with colleagues/ senior management /customers, how skilled you are at resolving conflict and how adept you are in the art of negotiation. By anticipating questions that will be asked, you can prepare examples that show your competency in these areas and prove that you are a great fit for the role.
Take Control of Your Future & Unlock Your Full Potential. I work with clients face-to-face and on skype or zoom.
Could you benefit from interview coaching?
Maybe you haven’t interviewed in several years and you’re rusty or you’re already good at interviews but want to get that extra edge to land you the job.
