6 Real-Life Examples "What would you do if there was a communication breakdown at work?" in an Interview
The communication level within an organization is one of the biggest factors for a successful business. If there are breakdowns in a communication process, things can go wrong and may result in loss of business.
This blog post includes 6 real-life examples of “What would you do if there was a communication breakdown at work?”.
I hope that these examples will help you answer this question in an interview successfully.
When you are answering this question, you should take note of the following:
- Show that you recognize the importance of communication to the business
- Walk the interviewer through your problem-solving process
- You can give an example of a time that you solved a communication problem
You should also avoid the following:
- You should avoid giving answers like this “I don’t think that there is anything that I can do in this kind of situation”.
I would try to understand what had caused the breakdown
There are two things that I would do if there was a communication breakdown at work.
First, I would try to understand what had caused the breakdown. If it was a miscommunication between two people, then I would ask them both to explain what they meant when they said what they said. If there was still confusion after that, I would try to find some way of clarifying the situation.
Second, if it was not a miscommunication but instead something more systemic or structural within the company's culture, then I would seek out people who could help me understand why this problem is happening and how we can solve it.
I would assess the situation and determine what exactly is causing the breakdown in communication
I would assess the situation and determine what exactly is causing the breakdown in communication.
I would then contact the person or people who are not communicating and try to ascertain what is going on.
If they are not willing to communicate, I would try asking others if they know what is happening, or if they can help me figure out what is going on.
I would ask the people involved what their expectations are, and then seek to understand why there's a communication breakdown
I would ask the people involved what their expectations are, and then seek to understand why there's a communication breakdown. Once I've figured out what's gone wrong, I would find a way to fix it by either changing my own behavior or changing theirs.
For example, if someone is upset that they haven't heard from me and they're waiting on a report from me, I might change how often I reach out to them so that they don't feel like they're being ignored.
I would try to identify the problem first and then try to solve it
If there was a communication breakdown at work, I would try to identify the problem first and then try to solve it.
I would first try to figure out what kind of communication is missing, whether it be face-to-face or over the phone, and then I would try to talk with the person who has not been communicating at all.
If that fails, then I would try to talk with their manager or whoever is responsible for them.
If all else fails, then I will bring this up at our weekly meeting and see if they have any suggestions on how we can fix this issue.
I would try my best to speak up
I think that communication breakdowns happen all the time, but they can be avoided by being clear and concise with your coworkers. I've been in situations where people were not communicating clearly, and it created a lot of frustration and confusion. The best way to deal with this situation is to speak up and say what you need to say, but also listen to what everyone else has to say.
The next time there is a communication breakdown at work, I would try my best to speak up first. If someone is not communicating clearly, I would try to approach them directly about it instead of waiting for them to come back to me. This will help me avoid any confusion or frustration on both sides because we can have a direct conversation about what needs to happen next instead of having one person assume something about another person's actions or intentions without speaking up first!
I always try to figure out why the breakdown happened before I attempt to solve it
In my experience, communication breakdowns can happen for a variety of reasons. Sometimes someone is not clear about what they are saying, or maybe the person on the receiving end of the message didn't hear it correctly. Other times, there is no problem with the message itself, but rather with how it was delivered.
When I am faced with a communication breakdown in my workplace, I always try to figure out why the breakdown happened before I attempt to solve it. If there was an issue with clarity, I will make sure that everyone involved understands exactly what needs to be done next time around.
If something went wrong during delivery, I will talk to the person who made the mistake about how we can avoid that happening again in the future. Both of these situations are common in any work environment and require patience and open communication from all parties involved.