Question: Describe a time when you had to convince different stakeholders who had their own agendas to agree on one idea. How did you manage it?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Describe how you needed to influence different stakeholders who had different agendas. What approaches or strategies did you use?

Follow-up questions:

How successful do you think was your approach?
What happened in the end?
Have you been able to repeat this strategy?
What is your relationship with these stakeholders now?
What was your relationship with these stakeholders before you had to convince them?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Speaking,Basic – Writing,Social – Negotiation,Social – Persuasion,Social – Rapport Buiding/Relating and Connecting with others,Social – Social Perceptiveness

Abilities:

Cognitive – Flexibility of Closure (Pattern Detection),Cognitive – Oral Expression,Cognitive – Problem Sensitivity (Problem Recognition),Cognitive – Written Expression

Other Factors:

Practical Intelligence (Street Smarts)

Work Activity (Task):

Interacting with Others – Change Management,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 – Innovation Management,Interacting with Others – Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others (Informing),Interacting with Others – Provide Consultation and Advice to Others,Interacting with Others – Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others (Conflict Management),Interacting with Others – Selling or Influencing Others,Mental Processes – Judging the Value of Things, Services, or People,Mental Processes – Thinking Creatively (Creativity)

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

Interpersonal Relationships – Coordinate or Lead Others,Interpersonal Relationships – Frequency of Conflict Situations,Interpersonal Relationships – Frequency of Contact With Others,Interpersonal Relationships – Responsibility for Outcomes and Results of Others

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Achievement/Effort (Action/Result Orientation),Adaptability/Flexibility,Analytical Thinking,Approachability,Attention to Detail,Cooperation,Handling Ambiguity,Initiative,Innovation,Persistence/Perseverance

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

Look for the interviewee’s social skills and practical intelligence in forming a solution or coming to a compromise.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the interviewee will ignore some, or all, of the stakeholders in order to reach a solution.

Sample Answer:

N/A

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