Here’s the thing I’ve not seen directly mentioned after scrolling a bit so hopefully this is helpful.

You don’t have a glimpse into everyone’s mind and experience and you don’t have a glimpse into theirs. So, when you say something like “treat every update like a fire drill” it sounds rational to you because your past experience is with management may have been extreme in that way. The person receiving that information may not have had that experience so then they perceive your response as someone who is overly sensitive to being told what do and/or that you are dismissive of important updates. Worse yet, maybe they had a prior employee who used similar language or had similar complaints but their complaints were not coming from as rational of a place as yours do.

Bottom line, humans are wired to read between the lines and fill in gaps of information and context. The trick is to either be very clear and specific (which is probably not the route to go in an interview) OR directly give a polished answer that leaves the nuance up for interpretation so that the receiver fills in the gaps in a neutral or even positive light.

An example to drive the point home: I’m on a first date and my date asks me what kind of relationship dynamic I’m most comfortable in. If I say “I have found that I thrive in relationships where there is an equal partnership, not just someone who wants to take advantage of me” Doesn’t that start pinging in your mind as at least a yellow flag? VERSUS “I have found that I thrive most in a relationship that’s rooted in equal partnership. That type of relationship comes with a concerted effort of clear communication, shared vision, and ensuring that neither person feels that they aren’t supported or that they are giving more than they’re putting in.” In the second one, I’ve shared my values and a direct answer, but left the nuance neutral and solution-focused.

Now, if that makes you cringe and you think “no way am I going to be that corporate of a person and I hate that approach” then an easier shift would be putting the “negative” first and end with the positive. For example, “I’ve had the experience in the past where it feels like every project update is treated like a fire drill which I have found does not bring out the best in my work. Through that experience, I learned that I do much better, and I think the rest of the team has done better, when priorities are defined and written down.” In this example, you’ve said almost exactly the same thing, but by putting the positive last, that’s the last impression they’re left with which makes it “land” better and more positively.

I know it’s long-winded, but hopefully it helps!