Changing your communication style is strong AO evidence when you explain what the other person needed and how you knew the adjustment worked. The AA and AO Civil Service interview guide can help you prepare this now, before the panel asks for a different audience from the one you rehearsed.
Question
“Tell me about a time you changed the way you communicated so another person could understand.”
What Is Being Looked For
The panel wants to hear that you noticed the original approach was not working and adapted. At AO level, this can involve a customer, colleague or member of the public. Keep the example practical and show respect throughout.
Use B-STAR to explain your belief about clear communication. In the action, describe what you changed. You might remove jargon, slow the pace or use a written follow-up. Explain how you checked understanding rather than assuming the person was satisfied.
Avoid presenting the other person as difficult. The focus should stay on your responsibility to make the information usable. Where the subject involved a rule or decision, show that you kept the message accurate while changing the format.
Finish with the outcome and any learning you applied later. Prepare for a follow-up about another audience so you can show that the adjustment was thoughtful rather than a one-off response.
A brief written follow-up can strengthen the outcome where the information needs to be remembered later.
Example Answer
I believe communication is only clear when the other person understands what they need to do. I am willing to change my approach while keeping the information accurate.
While working at a community advice centre, I helped a visitor complete an appointment request. I first explained the online booking steps verbally, but he became frustrated and said he found the sequence confusing. I realised that continuing with the same explanation would not help.
I asked which part was unclear and learned that he was unfamiliar with the terms used on the website. I moved beside him so we could look at the screen together, replaced the technical wording with plain language and explained one step at a time. I wrote the two pieces of information he needed to prepare on a small note, then asked him to complete the next step himself while I stayed available.
When the confirmation page appeared, I asked him to explain what would happen next. He correctly described the appointment time and the documents he needed to bring. I printed the confirmation because he did not use email regularly and marked the contact number in case he needed to change the booking.
The visitor completed the request without further help and thanked me for taking the time to explain it differently. I later suggested adding a plain-language prompt beside the public computer, which colleagues used with other visitors.
Prepare the adjustment and the understanding check. Use the AA and AO Civil Service interview guide now to practise another Communicating and Influencing question, so your answer stays flexible when the audience changes.
