Our Corporate Trainer often meets with managers and supervisors to discuss upcoming training topics and approaches. Have you ever had difficulty communicating with a supervisor?
Possessing the skills to enhance communication in the workplace is a valuable asset, especially as a Corporate Trainer. When approaching this question, remember that the interviewer does not want to hear that you agree with everybody at all times. In a perfect world, you communicate well and get along with the leaders that you support at all times. However, this is not always realistic. A response like that fails to give the interviewer insight into your behaviors and communication style in the workplace. What matters most is not that you have a perfect record with your leaders, but how you approach a situation in which you disagree with a leader. Demonstrate to your interviewer that you can collaborate well with your leaders, especially when choosing training approaches and deciding on upcoming training session topics. If you've ever experienced a time when it was difficult to communicate with a supervisor, tell a brief story that highlights your actions and the result of your communication approach.
"Yes, I have had difficulty with one particular manager that I supported training efforts for and it honestly took a lot of effort to focus my communications and make it a positive relationship. When I first started working with him, he wasn't very receptive to my ideas when we discussed new training for his staff. As I talked with others, I was told that he was an experienced leader who was very set in his ways. At that point, I knew I had to vary my approach with him and take a very analytical approach with hard data to prove why my thoughts would bring positive results to his group of employees. After he saw the results that similar groups were having with self-paced online training courses, he decided we could give it a try, and what he saw in the months following the new training path impressed him."
