Can you tell me about a time when you suffered a setback
and had to maintain your enthusiasm?
Sure. One definitely comes to mind.
Last year a project for a new toy was in its final stages
after two years of work.
As we were looking at the branding
and working up a final marketing plan,
a competitor launched a version
of the exact same toy that we were launching.
As the leader of the project, I knew that my reaction would set the tone for the group.
I acknowledged that it was a setback,
but challenged the group to think of this as a blessing in disguise.
I asked them to go out and buy the competitor’s product
and make a list of anything they wished the toy could do that it didn’t.
It turned out that the list was pretty long.
We added these items to our toy,
and launched a far superior product 6 months later.
So, in many ways, the competitor’s product became the key to our success.
That sounds like a great victory.