OTEE Interpersonal and Communication Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a briefing, a subordinate officer gives an unclear status report. What is the most effective first response from the commanding officer?
- Dismiss the subordinate for poor preparation
- Ask a clarifying question to identify the specific gap
- Restate what you understood and ask if that is correct (Correct answer)
- End the briefing and request a written report instead
Correct answer: Restate what you understood and ask if that is correct
Restating your understanding and asking for confirmation is the most effective technique for resolving ambiguous communication without embarrassing the speaker.
Question 2: An officer notices growing tension between two soldiers in the same unit. Before the conflict escalates, the best interpersonal approach is to:
- Wait to intervene until an official complaint is filed
- Speak with each soldier privately to understand both perspectives (Correct answer)
- Publicly address both soldiers at the next formation
- Immediately reassign one of the soldiers to a different unit
Correct answer: Speak with each soldier privately to understand both perspectives
Private individual conversations allow each party to speak openly and help the officer gather unbiased information before taking any action.
Question 3: Which listening behavior most clearly demonstrates active listening during a superior's debrief?
- Maintaining eye contact and nodding periodically (Correct answer)
- Taking detailed notes without looking up
- Interrupting to offer solutions when problems are mentioned
- Remaining silent and expressionless to avoid distraction
Correct answer: Maintaining eye contact and nodding periodically
Eye contact and appropriate nonverbal feedback signal engagement and encourage the speaker to continue sharing information.
Question 4: When delivering negative feedback to a subordinate, an officer should primarily focus on:
- The subordinate's personal character and attitude
- Specific behaviors and their observable impact on mission performance (Correct answer)
- Comparing the subordinate unfavorably to higher performers
- Documenting the feedback to build a case for removal
Correct answer: Specific behaviors and their observable impact on mission performance
Feedback tied to specific, observable behaviors is actionable and avoids personal attacks that reduce morale and receptivity.
Question 5: A written operations order must be understood by soldiers with varying education levels. The best writing strategy is to:
- Use technical jargon to ensure precision
- Write at the lowest reading level in the unit and avoid abbreviations (Correct answer)
- Use complex sentence structures to convey seriousness
- Include as much detail as possible to eliminate all ambiguity
Correct answer: Write at the lowest reading level in the unit and avoid abbreviations
Military communications must be universally understood; writing at the lowest common reading level and limiting jargon reduces misinterpretation.
Question 6: An officer is presenting a mission plan to senior leadership. Halfway through, a general interrupts with a critical question. The officer should:
- Ask the general to hold questions until the end
- Address the question directly and then offer to return to the briefing (Correct answer)
- Ignore the interruption and continue the presentation
- Defer the question to a subordinate present in the room
Correct answer: Address the question directly and then offer to return to the briefing
Addressing a senior leader's question immediately demonstrates respect and responsiveness, which are essential command communication norms.
Question 7: Which communication style is most appropriate when issuing a direct order in a high-stress combat scenario?
- Collaborative, inviting input before the order is finalized
- Passive, allowing soldiers to self-organize around the task
- Clear and directive, with no ambiguity about the required action (Correct answer)
- Empathetic, explaining the emotional difficulty of the task first
Correct answer: Clear and directive, with no ambiguity about the required action
Under time pressure and stress, direct and unambiguous orders prevent hesitation and reduce the chance of misinterpretation.
OTEE Interpersonal and Communication Skills 2
During a briefing, a subordinate officer gives an unclear status report.
What is the most effective first response from the commanding officer?