Interviewer: How would you deal with a colleague who was angry with you?
Mark: First, I would give them a little time to calm down. If I started to talk to them right after they got angry, then they might not be able to have an open and rational conversation. After I gave them a little time to cool down, I would approach them and ask them if they wanted to get a cup of coffee and talk.
Interviewer: I see. And then what?
Mark: And then, I would ask them why they were angry with me. I would listen earnestly to their feelings and then I would tell them how I feel. I would avoid attacking them, but I would be honest about how I felt about the situation.
Interviewer: That sounds like an effective way to deal with this kind of situation.
Mark: All you need to do is be a good listener and give them coffee. It works every time.
Patterns and Examples
If a colleague were angry with me, then I would ____________________.
- If a colleague were angry with me, then I would speak privately with them and try to figure out a way to solve our differences.
- If a colleague were angry with me, then I would talk with them and try to fix the problem.
In this kind of situation, I would ____________________.
- In this kind of situation, I would let the person calm down first, and then, I would discuss the issue with them.
- In this kind of situation, I would ignore the problem unless it was a major issue.
I would ____________________ if a colleague were angry with me.
- I would deal with the conflict directly if a colleague were angry with me.
- I would ask another co-worker to mediate if a colleague were angry with me.
