Influence Without Authority: Persuading a Peer to Switch to Your Method

Tell me about a time you persuaded a colleague to switch to your way of doing something. How did you win them over, and what came of it? ```hint Start from their objection Think about why the colleague's existing way made sense to them, and what evidence or low-risk trial changed their mind, rather than how hard you argued. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Should the colleague be a peer I had no authority over, or can it be an engineer, designer or analyst I partnered with? - Does "approach" mean a way of working, such as a process, template or tool, or can it be a product decision such as a prioritization call? - Is a story acceptable where my approach was adopted only in part, or changed because of the colleague's input? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - Why the existing approach was a problem, with a concrete cost to the team or to customers - How the candidate understood the colleague's position and objections before pushing their own idea - The persuasion method: evidence, a pilot or a demonstration, and how the colleague got a stake in the change - A measurable outcome of the switch, and whether it spread or lasted - Openness to being wrong: what the candidate changed in their own approach because of the colleague ### Follow-up Questions - What was the colleague's strongest objection, and was any part of it right? - What would you have done if they had still said no after seeing the evidence? - Did the approach spread beyond the two of you, and who drove that?