How do you handle a situation where your superior does not properly communicate information to you?

Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Focus Your Answer On
What to Avoid
Remember To
Entry Level Example
Experienced Example
Community Answers

Clear communication is vital when working for the FBI. The interviewer would like to know how you would handle poor communication between yourself and a superior. You cannot force others to communicate with you in a way you would always prefer, so describe how you deal with this situation professionally. Talk to the interviewer about a specific time that you have handled a leader who does not interact with you in a way that you like. Be sure to include the resolution.

Focus on how you communicate your concerns about the differences in communication with your supervisor to come to a resolution. That shows you value the information your supervisor has to share and that you have excellent interpersonal and communication skills. It also shows the interviewer that you are proactive and have no problem discussing issues with your superiors.

When answering this question, avoid saying anything negative about a former supervisor or making fun of their communication skills. Everyone has different ways of communicating, and others might not have the same skills as you. Explain that you had a supervisor who did not communicate the same way as you, but do so without speaking poorly of that person.

Remember to include the resolution after speaking with your supervisor regarding their communication. The interviewer wants to hear if anything changed in how your supervisor shared information with you in the future and if your communication skills were effective in making the change.

"If my superior officer were not communicating effectively, I would approach them discreetly and ask to talk about the issue. They may not realize that not everyone understands and interprets messages the same way. Hopefully, we can find common ground to improve communication during our conversation. So far, I have worked with great leaders who are very conscious of the way they communicate."

"Whenever I have a supervisor who does not properly communicate with me, I try to learn their style of communication and emulate it. Sometimes you have to relate to others in their style to be understood. I implemented this method with my most recent supervisor and now have a great working relationship with her."

Anonymous Answer

"Any conversation I have, I make sure I understand precisely what it is they are trying to communicate. If one thing sounds off or doesn't make sense you'll be sure to hear a few questions from me just to make sure we are on the same page."

Krista's Feedback

This is key to being an exceptional communicator. Do you have an example/story to provide to support your answer?

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Anonymous Answer

"Whenever I have had a supervisor who didn't communicate well, I have always done my best to learn their style and learn what I have to do to glean the necessary information I need to do my job properly."

Krista's Feedback

This is a good start and a smart approach to gaining the right information needed to meet expectations. I recommend further personalizing your answer by including a story of a time when this happened. By weaving in a story, you will create a more memorable response. You can use the STAR framework when organizing this part of your response (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

Anonymous Answer

"If my superior did not properly communicate information effectively with me, I would look at the situation at hand closely. While being under his or her supervision, I would take all of their positive characteristics and the negative ones (communication being negative) and reflect as a professional on how to be an effective supervisor and leader."

Krista's Feedback

Taking a positive approach to working with communication issues is a smart move. If you have ever experienced a similar situation, this question presents a good opportunity to give a story-based example showcasing your communication and problem-solving skills in action.

Anonymous Answer

"If my supervisor wasn't communicating information properly, I would ask them privately about the issue and talk it out. Maybe the issue was that I was misunderstanding their style of communication or maybe they weren't realizing that the message they were trying to send was not being perceived that way."

Krista's Feedback

Good. You show that you're not jumping to conclusions about the reasons for poor communication, but trying to solve the problem. Have you had a situation where you've applied your process? How did it resolve?

Anonymous Answer

"Coming from the military, this is a very common mistake in which team meetings are held but things rarely change. I have learned to deal with poor communication from leadership by either learning their style in an attempt to figure out the best way to translate their message or using other available resources to get the information I need to get the job done."

Krista's Feedback

While this response clearly shows your flexibility in adapting to different leadership styles, I would caution against any response that shows any negativity toward leadership (example: "I learned to deal with poor communication from leadership") because this type of statement may be a red flag for some interviewers. I would suggest re-phrasing that part of your explanation in a manner that is strengths-focused and positive. (I've provided an example below.)

"Coming from the military, I experienced a number of situations in which team meetings were held but things rarely changed. When I didn't receive the specific communication that I needed from leadership, I responded by either learning their style in an attempt to figure out the best way to translate their message or using other available resources to get the information I need to get the job done. I have learned that there are many different communication styles, and it is important for me to learn how to effectively communicate with others regardless."

Anonymous Answer

"I've learned to actively listen and pay close attention to critical details. If my superior doesn't properly communicate information, I'll make it a habit to ask for clarification and write it down myself. Effective communication saves time."

Krista's Feedback

Active listening and attention to detail are important skills to have, and you do a great job of naming the importance of effective communication. To improve your response, I suggest sharing a specific example of a time when information was not effectively communicated to you and how you listened, asked for clarification, wrote it down, and achieved the desired result. A specific example will help your response to stand out.

Anonymous Answer

"If it's an email, I will re-read the email to ensure I have not missed any details. If the details are still missing I will reach out to a colleague and see if I'm the only one that is missing information. If I am still unable to come up with the needed information I will reach back out and ask my superior to clarify what they are looking for."

Krista's Feedback

Great answer! It shows that you're not afraid to ask questions or for clarification but before bothering your supervisor you try to figure out the information by yourself first. You come across as detailed, resourceful, and straightforward. Nice job!

How to Answer: How do you handle a situation where your superior does not properly communicate information to you?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for an FBI job interview.

10. How do you handle a situation where your superior does not properly communicate information to you?

Why the Interviewer Asks This Question

Written by Krista Wenz on April 24th, 2022

Focus Your Answer On

Written by Krista Wenz on April 24th, 2022

What to Avoid

Written by Krista Wenz on April 24th, 2022

Remember To

Written by Krista Wenz on April 24th, 2022

Entry Level Example

Written by Kevin Downey on December 18th, 2022

Experienced Example

Written by Kevin Downey on December 18th, 2022

Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

Anonymous Answer

Krista's Feedback

This is key to being an exceptional communicator. Do you have an example/story to provide to support your answer?

Show More Answers

Anonymous Answer

Krista's Feedback

Anonymous Answer

Krista's Feedback

Anonymous Answer

Krista's Feedback

Anonymous Answer

Krista's Feedback

Anonymous Answer

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