Tell me about a time a decision you made did not work out. How did you handle it with your team and your boss?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests ownership and accountability. Owns results including misses, explains what they changed, and follows through without blaming the team.
• What to bring out: Owning the mistake openly, fixing the immediate impact, explaining what they learned, and changing their process.
• Expect a follow-up like: How did your team react?

Another way it may be asked: Think of a call you made, like a schedule or a promotion setup, that backfired. What did you do next?

A structure to follow: STAR, with the weight on Action and Result

1. Step 1

   Situation

   One or two sentences: where, when and what was at stake. Pick a real example you were close to.

2. Step 2

   Task

   What you personally were responsible for. Say "I", not only "we", so the ownership and accountability you showed is visible.

3. Step 3

   Action

   The two or three things you did and why you chose them over the alternatives. This should be about half your answer.

4. Step 4

   Result

   What changed, in your own measure of it, and what you would do differently. Only use numbers you can stand behind.

This is guidance on shape, not a script. Use your own real experience and facts; never invent details to fill a gap. See the STAR guide and answer frameworks.

Common slips

• Describing what the team did without saying what you did.
• Choosing an example with no clear outcome, or one you cannot answer detailed questions about.
• Ending on the action and skipping the result and what you learned.

How to practise it

Write two bullet points for each STAR letter, then say the answer aloud in about two minutes.

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