Communication and Listening Skills

Mandy Firth and Ant Sutcliffe

• Understand the importance of effective listening and communication

• Consider the importance of your ‘message’

• Provide some space to practise ‘listening’

• Increase your confidence and understanding of your role as a SA

The session ….

Feedback

• From SA interviews– Not telling us the obvious!

• From visitors at events– Shallow knowledge– Spoke quietly and sounded bored– ‘It’s a room with a bed, what more do you

need to know?’– This is known as the ‘suicide block’

Feedback• Students were relaxed, very friendly,

knowledgeable, welcoming and happy to answer all our questions

•  Gave unbiased information and were interesting to talk to

•  Answered all questions well, always had a smile!

• Honest appraisal of life at Keele. Very positive but with a few useful warnings

• Excellent and reassuring

Activity 1

When it goes wrong…

Introduce yourself to the person sat next to you and talk to them about:

•A situation where you have been misunderstood

•What was the outcome of being misunderstood?

•Can you identify why it happened?

Feedback

What have you learnt from your discussions:

•Importance of clarity

•Knowing your audience

•Care with use of jargon and humour

•Carelessness can escalate a problem

Activity 2

The message

With your neighbour decide on 5 key pieces of information you would need to give when:

•selling your house

•giving a weather forecast

Feedback

Selling house-Location (name of town/city..)-Price-Number of bedrooms/bathrooms-Situation (rural…)-Garden/parking etc.-What else is included

Weather forecast-Date-Time-Location-Sun/rain/fog/snow…-Duration

Why do we remember…

• Examples

Why do you remember:

- Practical advice

- Right time and place i.e. receptive to the message

- Visualise situation, shown how to do something

Activity 3

What message..

You are working at a visit day for applicants

•List 3 key pieces of information it would be appropriate to share with the applicants and their parents

What message…

You are helping at an event for looked after children, aged 14

•List 3 key pieces of information it would be appropriate to share with these young people

What message…

You are working at a learner journey day on campus for Year 5 and 6 (age 9 and 10 year olds) i.e. primary school

•What 3 pieces of information would you offer to help them understand educational transitions

Activity 4

Jargon buster - keep it simple

Activity 4

What Keele or higher education ‘jargon’ do we use all the time without realising?

e.g. blocks/halls/Lindsay

…the block is available on a 37 week let

…I’m going over to Lindsay now

…living in hall is great (sports hall??? assembly hall???)

Activity 4

electives DKC Fresher

Students’ Union modules

KPA KeeleSU RSM

bursaries major:minor

principal ASM alumni

Faculty Clearing Graduate

ASK seminars tutorials

THE IMPORTANCE OF NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Activity 5

What makes a good listener?• In pairs, 5 minutes each way

• Aim to use good listening skills

• ‘My hopes and fears for this new role’

• Share your thoughts and feedback to each other using your listening skills

Listening skills

Providing attention • Non-verbal (eye contact, posture)• Verbal (‘yes, I see, uh-huh, OK’)• Let visitors finish speaking

Checking understanding • Regular paraphrasing/summary• Reflecting back words• Focusing attention on key issues• Be aware of body language

Allowing silence • Not rush in to fill space• Allow reflection to take place

Encourage exploration • ‘Tell me more about…’• Echoing key words• Encouraging person to reflect and

understand• Offer choices

Benefits of active listening

• Builds the relationship

• Helps person to reflect and explore

• Restrains listener• Provides support

and challenge

• Checks understanding

• Focuses attention• Encourages

ownership of problem

In summary

• Be professional

• Know your audience

• Know your message

• Don’t make assumptions

• Be accurate

• Ask questions

• Use active listening