Drama Is Dogshit
How to handle a common, and commonly bungled, interview question
I swear this has nothing to do with the epidemic of dogshit on the sidewalks of Brooklyn right now, but maybe an incident on my morning walk reminded me of my intention to write this piece.
Imagine going into an interview, being asked a question, understanding why that question is being asked, knowing what the interviewer is looking for, and answering it. Wouldn’t that be cool?
Instead there are secret codes and hidden incentives, and often the only way to know how to play the game is to have sat on the other side of the table. Having interviewed hundreds of candidates, I’ve had the access and opportunity to unpack these processes, often cringing at my own missteps in the past.
In my coaching practice as well as the community sessions I run there’s one question that people seem to struggle with the most:
“Tell me about a time you disagreed with a teammate or manager.”
Sometimes this can be asked differently, for example:
“Describe a situation where you had a technical disagreement with a colleague.”
“Tell me about a time you had to work with someone difficult.”
“How do you handle disagreements about technical approaches?”
“Describe a conflict on your team and how it was resolved.”
This question is a straight up trap. There is a specific signal they’re interested in, regarding how you handle technical disagreements. But there’s a second thing they’re looking for, and that’s the sweet sweet smell of dogshit.
