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Communication and

Active Listening
Essential Tools for the
Community Ambassador

Learning Objectives
Understand the definition of communication
and its components
Identify the elements of the listening process
Participate in identifying cultural and
generational issues in communication
Define Active Listening
Understand how to create positive settings
for improved communication
Learn the different types of responses
utilized in active listening
Participate in an active listening exercise

Defining Communication
Communication occurs whenever
one person sends a message to
another person.
The message may be either
verbal, nonverbal or both.

Two important components of


communication are

Attending this refers to the physical and


psychological state or what some have called
your total human presence that helpers are
in when they are assisting people
Listening this refers to the ability of helpers
to understand the messages that are being
communicated by people, whether the
messages are being communicated verbally or
nonverbally, clearly or vaguely. Listening is an
active process and not a passive behavior

Elements in the
Listening Process
Hearing
Attending
Understanding

Nonverbal communication

Personal space,
Facial expression,
Display rules cultural rules that govern
how emotions are expressed,
Eye contact and gaze,
Body language,
Touch, and
Paralanguage which includes loudness,
intensity, speed and rhythm of speech

Nonverbal communication
is important because

Negative feelings may only be


expressed through nonverbal
channels

Ability to understand people is


significantly increased as one is
better able to understand
nonverbal signals

Cultural and Generational


Issues in Communication

Cultures impact how people


communicate. It affects how people
see, think, feel, interpret the world and
express themselves to others. These
differences can be challenging in our
multicultural community as they can
increase the potential for
miscommunication and
misunderstanding.

Active Listening

Active listening is paying attention to


other people in a manner where they
feel that you hear their message and
that you fully understand them. At the
core of active listening is the ability to be
empathic with people, meaning that
while you may not necessarily agree
with them, you do understand their
experience.

Active Listening Behaviors

Listening carefully
Attending to the nonverbal cues and
underlying messages
Listening to the context of peoples lives
Not interrupting people
Using words and body language to convey a
genuine attempt to understand what people
are saying and their experience.
Responding to words and feelings being
express to help people increase an
understanding of their needs and experience.

Guidelines for Creating


a Positive Setting for
Improved
Communication
Learn to feel and create empathy for

people
Practice withholding judgment,
Strive for honesty in communicating
to others,
Accept and respond to what is being
communicated

Guidelines for Creating a


Positive Setting for
Improved Communication

Clarify with questions about what you


think is being communicated,
Summarize what you think has been
said
If you express an opinion, express
your opinions tentatively

Types of Responses
in Active Listening

Restating
Summarizing
Minimal encouragers
Reflecting
Giving feedback
Emotion labeling
Probing

Types of Responses
in Active Listening

Validation
Effective pause
Silence
I messages
Redirecting
Consequences

Communication Blockers

Why questions
Quick reassurance
Advising
Forcing someone to talk
Patronizing
Preaching
Interrupting

Caution:

Advising responses this reflects our


tendency as people to help by offering
a solution. Before offering advice,
three conditions should be present:

Be confident that the advice is correct.


Be sure the other wants is ready to
accept advice.
Be certain that the person wont blame
you if the advice doesnt work out.

Caution:

Judging response this response


evaluates the persons thoughts or
behavior in some. Judgments have
the best chance of being received
when two conditions exist.
- The person with the problem should
have
requested an evaluation and
- Your judgment should be genuinely
constructive and not designed as a
putdown.

Cultural and Generational


Issues in Communication
II

What are some common issues that


come up when older members in
your communities, talk to:
- Other people outside the community
in general (cultural issues)
- Younger people within and outside
the community (generational issues)

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