Question: Tell me about a time you had to surmount an obstacle to reach a goal. What was the problem, and what did you do about it?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Tell me about a time when you had to deliver results in the face of major challenges.

Follow-up questions:

How do you keep yourself motivated to reach the goal?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Monitoring (Making observations of self and environment)

Abilities:

Cognitive – Category Flexibility (Mental Flexibility)

Other Factors:

Motivation/Ambition/Aspiration,Personality-Job Fit

Work Activity (Task):

Mental Processes – Judging the Value of Things, Services, or People,Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Achievement/Effort (Action/Result Orientation),Adaptability/Flexibility,Analytical Thinking,Persistence/Perseverance

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

The candidate’s commitment to reach goals.
The candidate’s persistence.
The candidate’s aspiration and motivation.

Red Flags to Watch For:

Giving up easily.
Lack of ambition and motivation.

Sample Answer:

I love challenges. Our focus should always be on the goal. Last year was difficult for all, we lack resources but we need to meet the monthly quotas. Through team collaboration and resourcefulness, we were able to not only reach the quota but we exceeded expectations.

Question Source: Unknown