Can you describe an instance where you successfully identified and solved a unique problem within a project?

This question aims to understand your problem-solving skills and your ability to identify and rectify unique challenges within a project. Understand that a successful answer should:

• Identify the unique problem you observed.

• Describe the steps you took to deal with it.

• Discuss the outcome of your actions.

The intention is not just to assess whether you can solve problems, but to understand how strategic and effective your problem-solving skills are. Keep in mind, the problem should be unique -- something not commonly encountered in regular day-to-day operations.

While I was a project manager at XYZ Software, we were charged with developing a new program for a major client. Halfway through the project, we realized the client's requirements had changed significantly, due to their own market research. This was a unique challenge because of the potential delay it could cause and the possible dissatisfaction of the client. I took charge of reassessing the project's requirements and reassigning tasks to the team. To manage the client's expectations, I clearly communicated changes, reasons behind them, and the revised timeline. I also established weekly progress meetings with the client to ensure transparency. Despite the bottleneck, we managed to finish the project two weeks early, much to the client's delight. It was a learning experience to adapt to significant changes and ensure that the project is still completed on time.

At my previous role as an environmental engineer, I noticed that our wastewater treatment process was producing an amount of solid waste that wasn't in line with industry standards. This was a peculiar problem that wasn't part of our standard troubleshooting remit. I proposed an amendment to our treatment process based on the readings I had. My team and I reconfigured our chemical dosing strategy and implemented a system to consistently monitor the waste generation. After implementing the changes, the amount of solid waste produced fell within the standard range. Not only did we curb a potentially harmful environmental impact, but the company also saved a significant amount in waste-disposal costs.