Question: Imagine this scenario: You have been tasked teaching your colleagues a new work process so that they will implement it. However, your initial attempt to teach them was met with heavy resistance and comments such as “this is the way we’ve always done it”. How would you deal with this resistance and achieve your objective?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

If your coworkers had a “this is how we do it” attitude to learning something new, how would you try to convince them to follow a different, more effective method of working?

Follow-up questions:

What would you say to these colleagues?
Would you need or ask for support to do this?
How long do you think it will take for the colleagues to learn and implement the new work process?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Situational

Skills:

Basic – Active Learning,Basic – Critical Thinking,Basic – Learning Strategies,Social – Coordination (Adjusting one’s own actions in relation to others),Social – Instructing (Teaching),Social – Persuasion,Social – Rapport Buiding/Relating and Connecting with others,Social – Social Perceptiveness

Abilities:

Cognitive – Category Flexibility (Mental Flexibility),Cognitive – Problem Sensitivity (Problem Recognition)

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Extraversion,Big 5 – Openness to Experience (Open Mindedness),Practical Intelligence (Street Smarts)

Work Activity (Task):

Interacting with Others – Change Management,Interacting with Others – Coaching and Developing Others,Interacting with Others – Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates,Interacting with Others – Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others,Interacting with Others – Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships,Interacting with Others – Selling or Influencing Others,Interacting with Others – Training and Teaching Others

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

Interpersonal Relationships – Coordinate or Lead Others,Interpersonal Relationships – Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People,Interpersonal Relationships – Responsibility for Outcomes and Results of Others

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Adaptability/Flexibility,Cooperation,Patience,Persistence/Perseverance

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

If the interviewee has an effective plan and strategy for change management and changing people’s behavior.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the interviewee does not know how to handle change management or has an unrealistic idea of how changes occur.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: Unknown