Question: Describe a time when you realized that disagreements in the workplace were actually turned into positive results for your team and wider organzation. How did you handle the disagreements or push them towards a positive direction?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Talk about a time when you felt that conflict or differences were a positive driving force in your organization. How did you handle the conflict to optimize its benefit?

Follow-up questions:

What did you learn from this experience?
While addressing disagreements what kind of mindset do you need to have?
After learning about our company, which area do you think this experience will help you?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Active Listening,Basic – Critical Thinking,Basic – Science and Logic,Complex Problem Solving,Social – Coordination (Adjusting one’s own actions in relation to others),Social – Negotiation,Social – Rapport Buiding/Relating and Connecting with others,Social – Social Perceptiveness

Abilities:

Cognitive – Perceptual Speed

Other Factors:

Personal Improvement (Growth),Personality-Job Fit,Personality-Organization Fit,Self-Awareness

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events,Interacting with Others – Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates,Interacting with Others – Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships,Interacting with Others – Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others (Conflict Management)

Work Context (Person-Job/Team/Org Fit):

Interpersonal Relationships – Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People,Interpersonal Relationships – Work With Work Group or Team (As a member, not a leader)

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Analytical Thinking,Approachability,Compassion/Concern for Others,Handling Ambiguity,Humility,Self Control,Stress Tolerance

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

If the candidate is open about addressing disagreements.
You are looking for the candidate’s strong listening skills, empathy and assertive communication skills.
If the candidate can respectfully handle conflicts and instead of focusing on individual if they focus on the solutions and system.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate is overly optimistic that most situations they handle require disagreements.
The outcome of the example they shared wasn’t positive.
If the candidate shares situations where generally some adjustments from their side was required but they turned it to conflict.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: https://www.totaljobs.com/advice/most-common-competency-based-interview-questions