That’s why “specific” is the interviewer’s power word. Just as those who actually went into problem-solving mode can speak specifically about the experience, those who didn’t go into problem-solving mode and didn’t try very hard to overcome the obstacle cannot talk about the specific details of the action they took, because those details simply don’t exist. The best these people can do is explain why they didn’t do the work, or offer up a generic, nonspecific answer they believe sounds reasonable. It’s a night–and-day difference compared to the answer an authentic high performer will provide.
