Business presentation template
Speaker cue cards for a general business presentation: a clear opening, the key message, three supporting points with evidence, a recommendation, next steps and a strong close with Q and A.
Speech8 cardsAbout 2 min to speakIntermediateWork
Tell me about a conflict at work answer template
Cue cards for interview questions about conflict, disagreement and teamwork: set the scene fairly, show how you listened and acted, and finish with the outcome and the working relationship after.
Free to use, edit, print and study. No account needed: your set stays on this device.
The cards
- 1
What they are really asking
- Do you stay calm and fair?
- Do you listen before you push?
- Can you disagree and still get the work done?
- Do you repair the relationship afterwards?
Pick a real, work-related disagreement with a positive ending.
- 2
The situation (fairly told)
On [project or team] at [organisation], a colleague in [role] and I disagreed about [the issue: priorities, approach, deadlines, quality].
Both of us wanted [shared goal], but we saw the route differently.
Never make the other person the villain.
- 3
Why it mattered
If we did not sort it out, [consequence: missed deadline, unhappy customer, team split].
It was starting to [effect on the team: slow meetings, tension, duplicated work].
- 4
I listened first
I asked to talk one to one, away from the group, and asked them to explain [their concern].
I learned that [what you discovered: pressure from their manager, a risk you had not seen, a different measure of success].
- 5
Then I acted
I [what you proposed: a compromise, a trial, data to settle it, bringing in a third person].
We agreed that [the decision], and I [follow-through: wrote it up, shared it with the team, checked in after a week].
- 6
The outcome
We [result for the work: delivered, fixed, launched, improved].
Just as important, [the relationship after: we worked together again on X / they asked me to review their next plan].
- 7
What I learned
I learned that [lesson, e.g. most disagreements are about different information, not different values].
Now I [habit you keep: ask questions early, agree on success measures at the start].
- 8
Teamwork version
If the question is about teamwork rather than conflict:
- The team and the goal: [context]
- My part in it: [role]
- How I helped others: [support, sharing, covering]
- What we achieved together: [result]
How to use this template
Interviewers ask about conflict and teamwork because every job involves working with people who see things differently. They want to hear that you can disagree respectfully, find out what is behind the other view, and still deliver the work. This template follows a STAR-style order but adds two cards that matter for this question in particular: a 'listened first' card, which shows emotional maturity, and an outcome card that covers the relationship as well as the result. The first card reminds you what the interviewer is assessing, and the final card turns the same structure into a pure teamwork answer for questions like 'Describe a time you worked well in a team'.
Tips
- Choose a disagreement about work, not personalities, and avoid any story that involved a formal complaint or discipline.
- Describe the other person in a way they would agree with if they heard it; that fairness is what the interviewer is listening for.
- Show a specific action you took, such as booking a short meeting, sharing data or proposing a trial, rather than saying 'we talked it through'.
- If the conflict was with a manager, show that you raised your view respectfully and then supported the final decision.
- Keep the emotional language light. 'We had different views' lands better than 'it was a nightmare'.
- End with something that proves the relationship recovered, because a fixed task with a broken relationship is only half a success.
Make it fit
- For customer-facing roles, use a disagreement with a customer or supplier and focus on how you protected the relationship and the organisation's interests.
- For leadership roles, tell a story where you helped two team members resolve their disagreement rather than one where you were a party to it.
- If you have little work experience, use a group assignment, a sports team, a volunteer committee or a shared household.
- In cultures where open disagreement is uncommon, describe how you raised the issue privately and respectfully; that is a strength, not a weakness.
- For a video interview, slow down on the 'I listened first' card; it is the heart of the answer and is easy to rush.
Updated October 28, 2026