Two important stakeholders have opposite requirements for the same process. How do you resolve it?
What the interviewer wants to hear
- Understand the interests behind each position
- Refer to business objectives, rules and data
- Facilitate a joint session and explore options
- Escalate to the decision owner if no agreement
- Document the decision and rationale
Model answer
I would first meet each stakeholder separately to understand not only what they want, but why. For example, in a claims process, the operations head may want automatic approval for small claims to save time, while the risk head wants manual checks to prevent fraud. Their underlying interests are speed and control. I would gather data, such as how many small claims are fraudulent and how much manual checks cost. Then I would run a joint session, starting from the shared business objectives, and explore options like automatic approval below a limit with random audits and fraud rules. Usually this finds a solution both accept. If not, I escalate to the decision owner, such as the sponsor, with clear options and impacts. Finally I document the decision and its reasons.
Can you answer it under time pressure?
Take a timed hard round and get scored on every answer.
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