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Take thinking time
When you're faced with difficult questions, make sure you buy yourself enough time to determine how you want to respond.
Repeating of rephrasing the question could give you some extra time for thinking about how you want to answer.
MORE IDEAS FROM THE ARTICLE
Make sure you're not assuming what you're being asked and take the time to really understand the question.
Insert parts of the question in your answers, but never repeat the negative language.
Find a part of the question you are comfortable answering if answering the whole question is not an option.
This may sometimes be enough to satisfy the other person.
Buy yourself some time by stating that you don't currently have enough information to provide a solid answer.
Turn around the pronouns to shift the focus on the other person and take it off of you.
For example, you can use: "It’s interesting that you think that" or "‘Why is this question of interest to you?"
Acknowledge the question, but then divert the conversation to a different topic, one you are more comfortable approaching and that interests you more.
Use phrases such as "That’s an interesting question, but I’d like to point out…"
Difficult questions tend to be emotional because the asker is usually frustrated or anxious.
So it might be a good idea to give the other person some control over the discussion. For example, use "I understand you’re frustrated. Would it be helpful if I shared some information about that?"
Make sure you maintain a polite tone, even if you refuse to answer the question.
Also, mare sure you give out extra information and don't just answer the questions with a “yes” or a “no”.
The way you hold your body is as important as your tone.
Avoid poses that make you seem defensive (crossing arms or avoiding eye contact).
RELATED IDEAS
The interviewer is likely looking for someone who can solve problems, has good interpersonal skills and the ability to get things done using good judgment and effectiveness.
Not every question lets you show skills easily, so reframing a question to get to the answer you want to communicate might be the best way to do so.
A regular job-interviewing question is where you see yourself in 5 years.
The purpose of this question is to see if you would like to stay at the company for many years. Bringing on new employees is both time-consuming and costly. The company does not want to go to all the effort and cost of training you, only to have you leave.
If you are convinced your ‘performance’ was a bad and it happens, you can still try to salvage it. A thank you note/email explaining a few things and showing your interest in the job might help change the interviewer’s mind. Botching up the interview does have a side effect: they would remember you!
Providing an honest reason for your bad performance can help, provided it’s not too long and boring. Do keep in mind that this is an effort from your side, and the rest of the factors are out of your control.