Tell me about a time you needed someone to change how they worked and had no authority to make them. What finally worked?
Why this works
Without authority, influence has to run on something real: credibility, evidence, or the other person's own interests. Asking what finally worked makes the candidate name their actual currency — which is how they'll operate anywhere most people don't report to them.
Follow-up probes
- What did they care about that you connected to?
- What did you try first that didn't work?
- Did the change stick once you stopped paying attention?
What good looks like
The other person's interests understood and worked with, an approach adjusted after a first attempt failed, and a change that held without enforcement — plus honesty about the goodwill it cost.
Red flags
Influence that was actually escalation in disguise, one pitch repeated louder, or compliance mistaken for agreement — the change died as soon as they left the room.
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