How can you answer this interview question?
Describe a skill that you can teach other people
When asked to describe a skill you can teach other people, it's important to remember that the goal is to show off your abilities as an educator and leader. Here are a few tips for answering this question in a job interview:
1. Start by describing the skill in detail
For example, if the hiring manager asks about your ability to lead a team, describe how you motivate and inspire others to work together towards a common goal.
2. Next, explain why you're uniquely qualified to teach this skill
For example, perhaps you've been teaching leadership workshops for years, or maybe you have experience working with teams in a particular industry or sector.
3. Finally, outline what coworkers can expect to gain by learning this skill
For example, you could explain that, with your help, they will be able to work more collaboratively and feel more empowered in their role. Throughout your answer, try to paint a picture of yourself as an experienced and knowledgeable professional who can share expertise and offer assistance in the workplace.
Example
Describe a skill that you can teach other people
One skill that I can teach other people is how to work effectively in a team. In my previous job as a project manager, I worked with several engineering teams from different countries. I needed to learn to communicate effectively with them and manage their expectations. By doing so, we could ensure that we finished projects on time and within budget.
One of the most important things for a project manager or team member is understanding the team culture in question. You must understand their values, beliefs, and norms. By understanding these aspects, you can better communicate with them and avoid misunderstandings.
How would you teach this skill to others?
One of the best ways to start would be to ask them questions about their culture. For example, if I'm working with a team from another country, I might ask them what they value most highly in their work.
This question is vital because you don't want people to perceive that you are judging them or asking them to explain something impossible to articulate. But it gives you insight into the values of the other culture.
From my experience, during the process of trying to answer this question, it can reveal misunderstandings very quickly.
For instance, I once worked with a team from South Korea who valued quality above all else. They had difficulty communicating how important it was for them until we decided to use a different word.
In their language, they used the word "rights". In this context, if something is done right or wrong, it implies that it is done to specifications.
If you have ever read a book on quality control, there are many ways to inspect the quality of an item or project. However, the different methods of inspecting do not necessarily mean that one method is better than any other – just that a specific quality measurement method was applied to produce a particular outcome.
Since the team from South Korea valued doing things "in rights", I asked them how they defined what "quality" meant and realized very quickly from their answers that we were talking about two completely different concepts.
After we cleared up that misunderstanding, things became much easier on that project and subsequent ones. Effective team communication is vital for successful project outcomes.