"I needed to set the departmental objectives for the next six months. (Situation)
I referred to the company's vision and goals for the next two years to decide which activities and tasks my department should concentrate on. I clearly communicated the relationship between our department goals and the company's goals to my staff and explained which activities would best result in achieving these goals. (Action)
"The staff really benefited from having a clear idea of the company vision and how we could contribute to achieving this. Understanding the big picture meant they were able to see how each of them were an essential part of the company's success and this motivated them towards goal attainment." (Result)
Describe a situation when you negotiated with others in your organization to reach agreement (negotiation skills)
The interviewer is exploring your ability to communicate information or alternatives in a manner that gains agreement and acceptance. Show how you are able to look at the position of others, present alternatives and reach an agreement that is positive for both parties.
"My manager presented me with an unreasonable deadline to complete a project. (Situation)
I asked him how he had determined the deadline. He said that it was based on his deadline to present the project to the CEO. I outlined every step that needed to be taken to complete the project and how long each step would realistically take. We discussed possible ways of reducing these time frames. I suggested allocating more resources to the project. He asked me to put together a project proposal that covered what we had discussed and he would use this to negotiate with the CEO for a more realistic time line. (Action)
We were able to settle on a plan that worked for both of us." (Result)
Use these sample answers for questions that come up time and again in behavioral interviews to help formulate your own behavioral examples.
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