IntermediateLEADERSHIP
Tell me about a time you had to give difficult feedback to a colleague whose work was affecting the team’s results. How did you prepare, what did you say, and how did you follow up?
Other
General

Sample Answer

On one project, a colleague was consistently missing deadlines on their deliverables, which put a 7‑person team at risk of slipping a key launch by about two weeks. Before talking to them, I pulled specific examples: three missed due dates over six weeks, and the downstream impact on testing and client communication. I asked for a private meeting and framed it around our shared goal: “We need to hit this launch date, and I want to make sure you’re set up to succeed.” I walked through the examples factually, focused on impact rather than blame, and then asked what was getting in their way. It turned out they were juggling unprioritized work from another manager. Together we re‑prioritized tasks, and I offered to align with their other manager, which I did that afternoon. Over the next month, they hit 100% of deadlines, and I made a point to recognize the improvement in our team meeting.

Keywords

Prepare with concrete, time‑bound examples and clear impact on team goalsDeliver feedback privately, focusing on shared goals and behavior, not personalityCollaboratively remove root‑cause obstacles and align stakeholders as neededFollow up with support and visible recognition when performance improves
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