Describe cross-team collaboration on past projects

In a behavioral interview with an engineering manager, you are asked to discuss your previous project experience, with a particular focus on cross-team collaboration.

Prepare and structure your answer using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) framework for one concrete example:

1. Situation
   • Briefly describe a specific project where you had to collaborate with at least one other team (e.g., another engineering team, product, data science, infrastructure).
   • Include relevant context: company scale, system domain, and the stakeholders involved.
2. Task
   • Explain your role and responsibilities.
   • Clarify the shared goal and any conflicting priorities or constraints between teams.
3. Action
   • Describe the specific actions you took to:
     • Align on requirements and expectations across teams.
     • Communicate progress, risks, and changes.
     • Resolve disagreements or blockers (technical or organizational).
     • Coordinate timelines, handoffs, and integration testing.
4. Result
   • Quantify the outcome where possible (e.g., performance improvements, launch metrics, reduced incidents, faster iteration).
   • Highlight what worked well, what you would do differently, and any feedback you received.

Additionally, be ready to briefly touch on:

• How you handle misalignment or conflict with partner teams.
• How you ensure accountability and clarity of ownership.
• How you adapt your communication style for different audiences (engineers vs PMs vs leadership).