Persuading a Same-Level Colleague Who Held an Opposing View

Describe a time a colleague at your level saw an issue differently from you and you worked to influence their thinking. What did you do, and how did it end? ```hint Start from their view The strongest stories show that you understood why the peer believed what they did before you tried to move them, and that the evidence or framing you used was chosen for that particular person. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Does the peer need to be another PM, or can it be an engineering, design or data partner at a similar level with no reporting line between us? - Does the story need to end with the peer adopting my view, or does a compromise, or a case where I changed part of my own position, also count? - Should the disagreement be about a product decision such as scope, priority or a success metric, or is a disagreement about process also fine? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - The substance and stakes of the disagreement, with the peer's position stated fairly - How the candidate uncovered the peer's reasoning, goals and incentives before trying to persuade them - The influence methods used without authority (evidence, customer insight, a prototype or small test, reframing around a shared goal) and why they suited this peer - The outcome, including what the candidate conceded and the state of the working relationship afterward - Reflection on what the candidate would repeat or do differently ### Follow-up Questions - What would you have done if the peer still disagreed after all of that? Would you have escalated, and how? - Was there a moment when you thought the peer might be right? What did you do with that doubt? - How did the next decision you made with this peer go, compared with this one?