## Question Tell me about a conflict within your team. Explain the substantive disagreement, why each side's concern was reasonable, how you moved the discussion from positions to evidence, the decision reached, and how the working relationship changed. ### Constraints & Assumptions - Choose a conflict about work, priorities, design, quality, or ownership rather than a personality complaint. - Represent the other person's reasoning fairly. - Do not equate agreement with winning. - Include the decision mechanism when consensus was not possible. ### Clarifying Questions to Ask - Would you prefer a technical or execution conflict? - Should I focus on the conversation, the decision, or the relationship afterward? ```hint State both legitimate goals Many conflicts persist because each person optimizes a different risk. Naming both goals creates room for an experiment or explicit trade-off. ``` ### What a Strong Answer Covers - The stakes and both viewpoints without caricature. - Direct, respectful discussion and listening. - Objective criteria, experiment, or decision owner. - Follow-through after the decision, including when the candidate's option lost. - A concrete improvement in later collaboration. ### Follow-up Questions 1. What did you initially misunderstand about the other person's concern? 2. What if the experiment had been inconclusive? 3. Did you involve a manager, and why? 4. How would the other person describe your behavior?