Grokking the Engineering Manager Interview
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Handling Rejected Proposals
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When an interviewer asks,

"Tell me about a time when a plan you proposed was not agreed upon,"

They are trying to understand several key things about you:

  1. Resilience and Flexibility: They want to see how you handle rejection and if you can adapt when things don’t go your way.
  2. Communication Skills: How well do you explain your ideas and handle disagreements? Can you remain calm and professional?
  3. Team Collaboration: Are you able to work with others, even when there’s a difference of opinion? Do you value others' input and find ways to integrate it?
  4. Problem-Solving: How do you find alternative solutions when your initial plan is rejected?
Key traits and pitfalls to avoid
Key traits and pitfalls to avoid

Structuring Response Using the STAR Method

Question:

"Tell me about a time when a plan you proposed was not agreed upon."

Answer:

Situation: "A few months ago, our team was tasked with improving the performance of our main software product. I proposed a plan to overhaul the backend architecture, which I believed would significantly boost performance."

Task: "My task was to present this plan to the leadership team and get their approval to proceed with the changes."

Action: "During the meeting, I laid out my plan, explaining the technical benefits and long-term gains. However, several stakeholders raised concerns about the cost and the time required for implementation. They felt that a more incremental approach would be less risky. Rather than pushing back, I listened to their concerns and asked for feedback on specific points. I then suggested a compromise: we could start with a pilot project to test the new architecture on a smaller scale before committing to a full overhaul."

Result: "The leadership team agreed to the pilot project, which allowed us to test the new approach without a large upfront investment. The pilot was successful, showing significant performance improvements, and we were able to gradually implement the full architecture changes over time. This experience taught me the importance of flexibility and the value of integrating feedback to refine and improve initial plans."

Pitfalls To Avoid

  1. Blaming Others: Avoid blaming colleagues or superiors for not agreeing with your plan. Instead, focus on what you learned from the experience and how you handled the situation.

  2. Defensiveness: Don’t get defensive about your rejected plan. Show that you can accept feedback and use it constructively.

  3. Vague Responses: Avoid giving vague or unclear explanations. Be specific about the situation, your proposed plan, the feedback you received, and how you responded.

  4. Ignoring the Result: Don’t forget to explain the outcome. Even if your plan wasn’t initially accepted, focus on the positive result that came from your flexibility and willingness to adapt.

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