Tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with your manager.

This question is essentially about conflict resolution and your professionalism when dealing with disagreements. The interviewer wants to know how you handle conflicts and if you can maintain positive relationships in difficult situations. They will be looking for maturity, diplomacy, good communication skills, and problem-solving skills in your answer.

To answer this question effectively:

1. Choose a specific situation where you had a disagreement with your manager: This must be a professional conflict, not personal.

2. Briefly explain what the disagreement was about: Stay professional when describing the conflict. Do not become emotional or use negative language about your manager.

3. Explain the steps you took to resolve the disagreement: This may include open communication, taking the matter to a higher authority, or coming up with a compromise.

4. Highlight the good outcome/lessons learned from the disagreement: This is your chance to turn a negative situation into a positive one. Show how the experience improved your work or working relationship with your manager.

At my previous job, my manager and I disagreed about the direction of an advertising campaign. I believed we should target a younger demographic, while she thought sticking to our usual demographic was a safer route. Instead of insisting that my approach was the superior one, I requested if we could arrange a meeting to discuss our differing opinions. In the meeting, I presented market research data to support my idea. While my manager appreciated my position, she still had reservations. Therefore, we agreed to conduct a small-scale trial run of my proposed campaign. It turned out to be a successful venture resulting in a 15% increase in sales for that quarter. This experience taught me the importance of constructive disagreement and data-driven decision making.

In my last role, I disagreed with my manager's decision to cancel a project that I was leading. The cancellation was based on budget cuts, but I believed that this project was essential for the team's productivity and the company's growth. Instead of openly opposing my manager, I prepared a presentation detailing the potential ROI of the project and alternative ways we could lower the costs. I then requested a meeting to share my findings. After considering my points, my manager agreed to continue the project with a reduced budget. The project was eventually completed and it led to a significant improvement in our team's productivity. This incident not only improved my relationship with the manager but also helped me learn the skill of advocacy and negotiation.