Tell me about a time you persuaded your team to adopt your approach.

Question

Accepted Answer

This tests **technical persuasion**: can you make a case with evidence and bring people along, while staying open to being wrong? Persuasion is not winning an argument.

## How to approach it

```text
1. State the problem and the criteria for a good solution first
2. Present options fairly, including the team's preferred one
3. Back your choice with data, a spike, or a small benchmark
4. Invite critique — adjust if they find a real flaw
```

## Worked example

```text
S: The team planned to build a custom job queue; I thought we should use an
   existing tool.
T: I had to make the case without dismissing their work.
A: I listed our actual requirements, built a one-day spike with the off-the-shelf
   tool, and showed it met every need with far less code to maintain.
R: The team agreed, and we shipped two weeks earlier. I noted the one case where
   their concern was valid and we documented the workaround.
```

## Good vs weak

```text
✓ Evidence + fair comparison + open to critique
✗ "I argued until they gave up"
✗ Pushing your idea with no proof
```

## Why it matters

Good decisions need buy-in; a great idea no one adopts changes nothing.

Leading with criteria and evidence keeps the focus on the best outcome, not on whose idea wins.

Staying genuinely open to being wrong is what makes people trust your conclusions next time.