Communicate effectively is one of the most common NSW Government capabilities, and one of the easiest to answer badly.
Most applicants say they are a strong communicator. The problem is that nearly everyone says that, which means the panel learns nothing from the statement itself.
What they actually want is evidence.
They want to understand how you communicate, who you communicate with, how you adapt your style, and what effect your communication had on the work. In government roles, communication is rarely just about sounding polished. It is usually about clarity, judgment, audience awareness, listening properly, and making sure information lands the way it needs to.
That is why this capability is best answered through a STAR-style example rather than a list of strengths. If you need a refresher on how to build those examples, go back to our STAR Method Examples for NSW Government Applications.
What changes across the levels
- Foundational: speaks clearly, listens, asks questions, writes logically
- Intermediate: adjusts style more deliberately and communicates with more confidence in everyday work
- Adept: tailors communication to different audiences and explains more complex ideas clearly
- Advanced: influences understanding across broader groups, handles pressure and states implications clearly
- Highly Advanced: represents the organisation with authority and adapts messaging in complex, high-stakes environments
The jump from Intermediate to Adept is usually where applications start to separate.
How to use behavioural indicators
Look at the role and ask:
- who do I need to communicate with?
- how different are those audiences?
- is the work routine, complex, sensitive or high-pressure?
That is how you work out the likely level.
Example paragraph: Foundational / Intermediate
In an administrative support role, I regularly provided information to staff and external contacts by email and phone, often where people were unclear about process or missing key details. In one instance, I was handling a series of enquiries about a new internal approval step that had caused confusion across the team. I clarified the process with the relevant manager, rewrote the guidance in plainer language, and then adjusted how I explained it depending on whether I was speaking to newer staff or more experienced officers. As a result, follow-up questions dropped and the team was able to complete the process more consistently. That example reflects the STAR structure well: a practical communication problem, a clear task, a deliberate action, and a useful result.
Example paragraph: Adept
In my current role, I communicate with operational staff, managers and external stakeholders who all need information presented differently. A good example was when I was coordinating a reporting process that had become delayed because people were receiving updates in a format that did not suit them. My task was to improve understanding quickly enough to keep the reporting cycle on track. I tailored updates so that frontline staff received practical instructions and deadlines, while managers received concise summaries, risks and the decisions required from them. That improved understanding across the group, reduced repeated clarification, and helped the reporting process get back on track.
Example paragraph: Advanced
While leading a complex piece of work, I had to communicate progress, issues and implications to multiple senior stakeholders with different priorities and different levels of understanding of the underlying issue. The situation was sensitive because there was pressure for a quick decision, but not everyone had the same picture of the risk. My task was to create enough clarity and confidence for a sensible decision to be made. I distilled the technical detail into clear messages, explained the practical impact of each option, and adapted my style depending on whether the conversation required reassurance, challenge or commitment. That helped build understanding and support while maintaining credibility under pressure.
Final advice
Good communication examples are not just about speaking well.
They are about clarity, audience awareness, listening, judgement and the effect your communication had.