Transcript Applying to Higher Education

Communication and Listening
Skills
Mandy Firth and Ant Sutcliffe
The session ….
• 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
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
•
•
•
•
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
Regular paraphrasing/summary
Reflecting back words
Focusing attention on key issues
Be aware of body language
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