Tell us about an instance when you faced both a technical and a people challenge simultaneously.

Question

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Our team was tasked with implementing a feature that allowed messages to
fallback to SMS with a reduced retry time. This was a highly anticipated feature
by users and executives alike.
Task: As a key member of the team, I was responsible for overseeing the
technical implementation and managing stakeholder expectations. The challenge
was compounded by the unexpected departure of a key project manager during a
critical phase.
Action: To navigate this complex situation, I took on additional
responsibilities. I collaborated closely with the engineering team to analyze
the technical implications of reducing retry times, considering factors like
system load and battery life. I prioritized tasks and communicated regularly
with the team to ensure everyone was aligned on the project goals. To maintain
stakeholder confidence, I provided frequent updates on progress and proactively
addressed concerns. I also implemented a robust communication plan to keep the
team informed and engaged.
To balance the need for a faster retry time with potential system impacts, we
decided to implement the feature in phases. We started with a moderate reduction
in retry time and monitored system performance closely. This approach allowed us
to gather data and make informed decisions about further adjustments.
Result: Through careful planning, effective communication, and a data-driven
approach, we successfully implemented the feature with minimal impact on system
performance. User satisfaction increased significantly, and we received positive
feedback from executive stakeholders. This experience demonstrated my ability to
manage complex projects, collaborate effectively, and make data-driven decisions
under pressure.

Anonymous · Answer

One of my responsibilities at the Flutte Team was to provide hermetic
environments to test applications on multiple platforms. For the mac arm64
architecture brought problems related with the version of ruby included with
xcode that required to create a self contained version of ruby compiled for
arm64. The technical lead for iOS unilaterally determined that was an issue that
infrastructure needed to solve.
As the infrastructure team I was leading didn’t have the expertise to create a
self contained version of Ruby I proposed that iOS and infrastructure worked
together to solve the problem however the TL refused to provide help to solve
the problem.
I did some research and experimentation and reached out to maintainers of open
source projects solving the self contained ruby version partially. At the end
the problem was solved with the help of the flutter engine team providing advice
on the compilation process and the open source community.

Anonymous · Answer

i was the technical program manager for a new software development that was
being integrated into the help center for customers. Upon completing the project
planning and initiation phase, we were in the execution phase with clear
milestone goal. We found out that one of the major components were not working
well, and the stakeholder accountable failed to escalate the problem and tried
to fix it on their own. It caused QA testing to be delayed and I had to be
delegate and schedule a meeting with the stakeholder to understand the reason
for the QA delays. I had to work out a plan to fix the issue by delegate the
problem to another team who had experience with backend design, and informed the
stakeholder that the escalation path must be utilized even if the risk can
possibly be avoided. As a result he committed to working on this and changed his
decision making process and we were able to launch on time

Tell us about an instance when you faced both a technical and a people challenge simultaneously.

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