How to Nail Interview Questions on the Amazon Leadership Principle “Are Right, A Lot”

In the highly competitive world of Amazon interviews, one of the key leadership principles that interviewers focus on is “Are Right, A Lot.” This principle evaluates your judgment, decision-making skills, and ability to gather data to make informed choices. To excel in answering questions related to this principle, you need to demonstrate your capacity for critical thinking, problem-solving, and the willingness to learn from your mistakes.

Understanding the “Are Right, A Lot” Principle

According to John Rossman’s book “The Amazon Way,” leaders at Amazon are expected to have strong business judgment and make the right decisions more often than not. However, Amazon also recognizes that failures are inevitable when pushing boundaries, and leaders are expected to learn from their mistakes, understand the reasons behind them, and share those insights with the company.

The “Are Right, A Lot” principle encompasses various aspects, including:

• Strong Judgment and Good Instincts: Amazon values leaders who can make sound decisions based on their experience and intuition, even in the absence of complete data.
• Seeking Diverse Perspectives: Effective leaders actively seek out different viewpoints to challenge their assumptions and disconfirm their beliefs.
• Learning from Mistakes: While mistakes are acceptable, leaders are expected to analyze their failures, understand the root causes, and apply those learnings to future situations.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Amazon encourages a data-driven approach to decision-making, where leaders gather and analyze relevant information to make informed choices.

Preparing for “Are Right, A Lot” Interview Questions

To effectively answer questions related to this principle, you should prepare several examples that showcase your judgment, decision-making skills, and ability to learn from mistakes. Here are some tips to help you prepare:

1. Have Multiple Examples Ready: Prepare at least two to four examples that demonstrate your ability to make sound decisions, handle conflicts or disagreements, and learn from failures. These examples should be diverse and cover different aspects of the “Are Right, A Lot” principle.

2. Use the STAR Method: When answering behavioral interview questions, the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method is an effective way to structure your responses. Describe the situation you faced, the task or challenge you had to address, the actions you took, and the results or outcomes of your actions.

3. Quantify Your Examples: Whenever possible, quantify the impact of your decisions, mistakes, or actions. Use metrics, numbers, or percentages to illustrate the significance of your choices and their consequences.

4. Highlight Your Learning: Emphasize what you learned from your mistakes or challenging situations, and how you applied those lessons to future projects or decisions. This demonstrates your ability to grow and improve continuously.

5. Showcase Your Data-Driven Approach: Describe the process you followed to gather and analyze data before making important decisions. Highlight how you sought diverse perspectives and challenged your assumptions.

6. Practice, Practice, Practice: Rehearse your examples and responses out loud, ensuring that you can articulate them clearly and concisely. Time yourself to ensure your responses are within the recommended 2-4 minute range.

Common “Are Right, A Lot” Interview Questions

Here are some typical interview questions related to the “Are Right, A Lot” principle that you should be prepared to answer:

• “Tell me about a time when you made a mistake. How did you handle it, and what did you learn from the experience?”
• “Describe a situation where you had to make an important decision with limited data. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?”
• “Give an example of when you disagreed with a colleague or supervisor. How did you handle the situation, and what was the result?”
• “When have you had to rely on your judgment and instincts to make a difficult decision? What was the situation, and how did you evaluate the options?”
• “Tell me about a time when you had to fix something but had no data or direction. How did you approach the problem?”

Remember, the key to answering these questions effectively is to provide specific examples, highlight your decision-making process, and demonstrate your willingness to learn from mistakes and seek diverse perspectives.

Sample Answers for “Are Right, A Lot” Interview Questions

To give you a better understanding of how to approach these questions, let’s explore some sample answers:

Question: “Tell me about a time when you made a mistake. How did you handle it, and what did you learn from the experience?”

Sample Answer:
“In my previous role as a project manager, I underestimated the scope of a software development project and failed to account for potential scope creep effectively. As a result, the project was delayed by two months, costing the company an additional $50,000 in resources.

When I realized the mistake, I took immediate responsibility and transparently communicated the situation to my team and stakeholders. I conducted a thorough analysis to understand the root cause, which was a lack of comprehensive requirements gathering and risk assessment during the planning phase.

To mitigate the issue, I worked closely with the development team to prioritize critical features and implement an agile methodology to better manage scope changes. I also instituted regular check-ins with stakeholders to ensure alignment and address any concerns promptly.

From this experience, I learned the importance of thorough planning, risk management, and open communication. Moving forward, I now conduct more comprehensive requirements gathering sessions, involving all stakeholders, and maintain a detailed risk register to proactively identify and address potential issues.

In my current role, I applied these learnings to a large-scale software implementation project, which was successfully delivered on time and within budget, thanks to the improved planning and risk management processes.”

Question: “Describe a situation where you had to make an important decision with limited data. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?”

Sample Answer:
“During my tenure as a marketing manager, our team was tasked with expanding our product’s reach into a new geographic region with limited market research data available. We had to make a strategic decision on which specific cities or areas to target for our initial launch.

With limited data, I relied on my past experience in similar markets, industry trends, and available demographic information. I also consulted with subject matter experts, both internally and externally, to gather diverse perspectives and validate my assumptions.

After analyzing the available data and insights, I proposed a pilot launch in three carefully selected cities based on their population density, economic factors, and potential customer base. This approach allowed us to test the waters and gather real-time data before committing significant resources.

The pilot launch was a success, and we were able to refine our strategy based on the learnings from the initial rollout. Within six months, we had successfully expanded our product’s reach to eight additional cities in the region, exceeding our initial sales targets by 15%.

This experience reinforced the importance of leveraging diverse perspectives, relying on sound judgment, and taking a data-driven approach even when faced with limited information. It also highlighted the value of iterative learning and adapting strategies based on real-world feedback.”

These sample answers demonstrate how to effectively structure your responses using the STAR method, quantify the impact of your decisions, highlight your learning, and showcase your data-driven approach to decision-making.

Conclusion

Mastering the “Are Right, A Lot” principle is crucial for success in Amazon interviews. By preparing multiple examples, utilizing the STAR method, quantifying your impact, and emphasizing your learning and data-driven approach, you can demonstrate your strong judgment, decision-making skills, and ability to navigate challenging situations.

Remember, Amazon values leaders who can make sound decisions, seek diverse perspectives, learn from mistakes, and continuously improve. By practicing and refining your responses, you can confidently showcase your alignment with this important leadership principle and increase your chances of landing your dream job at Amazon.