i always rehearse rehearse rehearse beforehand. i practice explaining my scenario with a problem/conflict, and my experience i’m proud of, and my example of excellent work, until i’m blue in the face- knowing i can tweak it as needs be (i can be proud of my problemsolving scenario, and it can result in excellent work, if it comes to it!).
and if all else fails, i have no issue with saying “you know, i’ve got interveiw brain, and i’ve totally blanked on this one- to be honest i don’t tend to find myself in many conflict type situations, cos i’m quite good at making sure everyone knows where they stand, whats expected of them, and at adapting, negotiating and being flexible- working out bumps with people and situations before they become a problem- and i tend not to dwell on them too much after the fact. can i think about it while we talk, and we could come back to this question- or i could give numerous examples of customer-service type problemsolving and troubleshooting experiences right now?” and then get rolling right along without missing a beat- thats a skill thats good to have in employees- unflappability. so is a willingness to admit to the existance of a problem and the whole negotiation thingame!
tell the interveiwer that, if you think it’ll work in your favour! 