Examples of health and community services industry terminology

CHCCOM005

COMMUNICATE AND WORK IN HEALTH OR COMMUNITY SERVICES

LEARNER RESOURCE

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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................................ 1

UNIT INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 4

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE ...................................................................................................................................... 4 ABOUT ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................................................................... 5

ELEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE CRITERIA ....................................................................................................... 7

PERFORMANCE EVIDENCE AND KNOWLEDGE EVIDENCE ................................................................................. 9

PERFORMANCE EVIDENCE ......................................................................................................................................... 9 KNOWLEDGE EVIDENCE ............................................................................................................................................ 9

ASSESSMENT CONDITIONS ............................................................................................................................ 12

PRE-REQUISITES ............................................................................................................................................. 12

TOPIC 1 – COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY WITH PEOPLE .................................................................................. 13

USE VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION TO ENHANCE UNDERSTANDING AND DEMONSTRATE

RESPECT ......................................................................................................................................................... 13

WHAT IS COMMUNICATION? ................................................................................................................................... 13 VERBAL COMMUNICATION ..................................................................................................................................... 14 NON-VERBAL ....................................................................................................................................................... 15

COMMUNICATE SERVICE INFORMATION IN A MANNER THAT IS CLEAR AND EASILY UNDERSTOOD .............. 17

CONSISTENCY ....................................................................................................................................................... 17 CLEAR DIRECTION ................................................................................................................................................. 17 ACCOUNTABILITY .................................................................................................................................................. 18 CULTURE ............................................................................................................................................................. 18

CONFIRM THE PERSON’S UNDERSTANDING AND LISTEN TO REQUESTS, CLARIFY MEANING AND RESPOND

APPROPRIATELY ............................................................................................................................................ 19

CLARIFYING AND CLARIFICATION .............................................................................................................................. 19 CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS ..................................................................................................................................... 19 OPEN QUESTIONS ................................................................................................................................................. 20 CLOSED QUESTIONS .............................................................................................................................................. 20 REFLECTING AND SUMMARISING ............................................................................................................................... 20 WHAT IS REFLECTING? ........................................................................................................................................... 22 WHAT IS SUMMARISING? ....................................................................................................................................... 22

EXCHANGE INFORMATION CLEARLY IN A TIMELY MANNER AND WITHIN CONFIDENTIALITY PROCEDURES ... 23

TOPIC 2 – COLLABORATE WITH COLLEAGUES ................................................................................................. 25

COLLABORATION OR CONFRONTATION ....................................................................................................................... 25

LISTEN TO, CLARIFY AND AGREE TIMEFRAMES FOR CARRYING OUT WORKPLACE INSTRUCTIONS ................. 25

IDENTIFY LINES OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ORGANISATION AND OTHER SERVICES .............................. 27

MAINTAIN ACTIVE PARTICIPATION ............................................................................................................................ 27 FACE-TO-FACE NETWORKING .................................................................................................................................. 29 COMMUNICATING CONFIDENTLY.............................................................................................................................. 29

USE INDUSTRY TERMINOLOGY CORRECTLY IN VERBAL, WRITTEN AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS ............ 30

USE APPROPRIATE MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY IN VERBAL, COMMUNICATIONS....................................................................... 30

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USE APPROPRIATE MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY IN WRITTEN OR DIGITAL COMMUNICATION ....................................................... 30 COMPLETING DOCUMENTS...................................................................................................................................... 30

FOLLOW COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS THAT APPLY TO INTERACTIONS WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND LINES

OF AUTHORITY............................................................................................................................................... 31

COMMUNICATION HIERARCHY ................................................................................................................................. 31

TOPIC 3 – ADDRESS CONSTRAINTS TO COMMUNICATION ............................................................................. 33

IDENTIFY EARLY SIGNS OF POTENTIALLY COMPLICATED OR DIFFICULT SITUATIONS AND REPORT ACCORDING

TO ORGANISATION PROCEDURES .................................................................................................................. 33

RESOLVE CONFLICT ................................................................................................................................................ 34

IDENTIFY ACTUAL CONSTRAINTS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND RESOLVE USING APPROPRIATE

COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES ........................................................................................ 36

USE COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO AVOID, DEFUSE AND RESOLVE CONFLICT SITUATIONS ............................. 38

CONFLICT AND PROBLEM-SOLVING IN THE WORKPLACE ................................................................................................. 38

TOPIC 4 – REPORT PROBLEMS TO SUPERVISOR ............................................................................................. 40

COMPLY WITH LEGAL AND ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DISCUSS DIFFICULTIES WITH SUPERVISOR AND

REFER UNRESOLVED CONFLICT SITUATIONS TO SUPERVISOR ........................................................................ 40

REFER ANY BREACH OR NON-ADHERENCE TO STANDARD PROCEDURES OR ADVERSE EVENT TO

APPROPRIATE PEOPLE AND REFER ISSUES IMPACTING ON ACHIEVEMENT OF EMPLOYEE, EMPLOYER AND/OR

CLIENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES .......................................................................................................... 42

BREACH OF STANDARD PROCEDURES ......................................................................................................................... 42 ISSUES IMPACTING EMPLOYEE/EMPLOYER ACHIEVEMENT .............................................................................................. 43 KNOW HOW TO ADDRESS DILEMMAS THAT MAY ARISE BETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL’S RIGHTS AND THE DUTY OF CARE ................... 43

TOPIC 5 – COMPLETE WORKPLACE CORRESPONDENCE AND DOCUMENTATION ........................................... 45

READ WORKPLACE DOCUMENTS RELATING TO ROLE AND CLARIFY UNDERSTANDING WITH SUPERVISOR ... 45

AWARDS AND AGREEMENTS ................................................................................................................................... 46 DEFINITIONS ........................................................................................................................................................ 47

Awards ........................................................................................................................................................ 47 Agreements ................................................................................................................................................. 47

COMPLETE DOCUMENTATION ACCORDING TO LEGAL REQUIREMENT AND ORGANISATION PROCEDURES

AND COMPLETE WRITTEN AND ELECTRONIC WORKPLACE DOCUMENTS TO ORGANISATION STANDARDS AND

USE CLEAR, ACCURATE AND OBJECTIVE LANGUAGE WHEN DOCUMENTING EVENTS ..................................... 49

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES GUIDE YOUR WORK ........................................................................................................... 51

FOLLOW ORGANISATION COMMUNICATION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR USING DIGITAL MEDIA ........ 53

TOPIC 6 – CONTRIBUTE TO CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ............................................................................. 54

CONTRIBUTE TO IDENTIFYING AND VOICING IMPROVEMENTS IN WORK PRACTICES .................................... 54

WHAT IS ‘CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT’? ................................................................................................................. 54 Continuous Improvement Process (CIP) ...................................................................................................... 54

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT (TQM) .................................................................................................................... 55 The essential components of TQM – Commitment and Leadership ............................................................ 56 The building blocks of TQM: processes, people, management systems and performance measurement .. 57

PRINCIPLES OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT .............................................................................................................. 57 The Continuous Improvement Process ........................................................................................................ 58 Five ways to continuously improve ............................................................................................................. 58

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PROMOTE AND MODEL CHANGES TO IMPROVED WORK PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES IN ACCORDANCE

WITH ORGANISATION REQUIREMENTS.......................................................................................................... 60

SEEK FEEDBACK AND ADVICE FROM APPROPRIATE PEOPLE ON AREAS FOR SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE

DEVELOPMENT .............................................................................................................................................. 61

CONSULT WITH MANAGER REGARDING OPTIONS FOR ACCESSING SKILL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND

INITIATE ACTION ............................................................................................................................................ 64

TOPIC 7 - FURTHER INFORMATION ................................................................................................................ 65

CONFIDENTIALITY, PRIVACY AND DISCLOSURE .............................................................................................. 65

WHAT IS CONFIDENTIALITY ....................................................................................................................... 65

DISCRIMINATION ........................................................................................................................................... 67

INTERVENTION AND CHILD PROTECTION ....................................................................................................... 68

WORK ROLE BOUNDARIES ............................................................................................................................. 70

TRANSLATION/INTERPRETERS ....................................................................................................................... 71

INFORMED CONSENT ..................................................................................................................................... 73

DIGITAL MEDIA AND USE ............................................................................................................................... 73

SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................................... 74

REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................... 75

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U N I T I N T R O D U C T I O N

This resource covers the unit CHCCOM005 - Communicate and work in health or community services.

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to communicate effectively with clients, colleagues, management and other industry providers.

This unit applies to a range of health and community service contexts where workers may communicate face-to-face, in writing or using digital media and work with limited responsibility under direct or indirect supervision.

The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian/New Zealand standards and industry codes of practice.

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE

This resource brings together information to develop your knowledge about this unit. The information is designed to reflect the requirements of the unit and uses headings to makes it easier to follow.

Read through this resource to develop your knowledge in preparation for your assessment. You will be required to complete the assessment tools that are included in your program. At the back of the resource are a list of references you may find useful to review.

As a student it is important to extend your learning and to search out text books, internet sites, talk to people at work and read newspaper articles and journals which can provide additional learning material.

Your trainer may include additional information and provide activities. Slide presentations and assessments in class to support your learning.

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ABOUT ASSESSMENT

Throughout your training we are committed to your learning by providing a training and assessment framework that ensures the knowledge gained through training is translated into practical on the job improvements.

You are going to be assessed for:

 Your skills and knowledge using written and observation activities that apply

to your workplace.

 Your ability to apply your learning.

 Your ability to recognise common principles and actively use these on the job.

You will receive an overall result of Competent or Not Yet Competent for the assessment of this unit. The assessment is a competency based assessment, which has no pass or fail. You are either competent or not yet competent. Not Yet Competent means that you still are in the process of understanding and acquiring the skills and knowledge required to be marked competent. The assessment process is made up of a number of assessment methods. You are required to achieve a satisfactory result in each of these to be deemed competent overall.

All of your assessment and training is provided as a positive learning tool. Your assessor will guide your learning and provide feedback on your responses to the assessment. For valid and reliable assessment of this unit, a range of assessment methods will be used to assess practical skills and knowledge.

Your assessment may be conducted through a combination of the following methods:

 Written Activity

 Case Study

 Observation

 Questions

 Third Party Report

The assessment tool for this unit should be completed within the specified time period following the delivery of the unit. If you feel you are not yet ready for assessment, discuss this with your trainer and assessor.

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To be successful in this unit you will need to relate your learning to your workplace. You may be required to demonstrate your skills and be observed by your assessor in your workplace environment. Some units provide for a simulated work environment and your trainer and assessor will outline the requirements in these instances.

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E L E M E N T S A N D P E R F O R M A NC E C R I T E R I A

1. Communicate effectively with people

1.1 Use verbal and non-verbal communication to enhance understanding and demonstrate respect

1.2 Communicate service information in a manner that is clear and easily understood

1.3 Confirm the person’s understanding

1.4 Listen to requests, clarify meaning and respond appropriately

1.5 Exchange information clearly in a timely manner and within confidentiality procedures

2. Collaborate with colleagues 2.1 Listen to, clarify and agree timeframes for carrying out workplace instructions

2.2 Identify lines of communication between organisation and other services

2.3 Use industry terminology correctly in verbal, written and digital communications

2.4 Follow communication protocols that apply to interactions with different people and lines of authority

3. Address constraints to communication

3.1 Identify early signs of potentially complicated or difficult situations and report according to organisation procedures

3.2 Identify actual constraints to effective communication and resolve using appropriate communication strategies and techniques

3.3 Use communication skills to avoid, defuse and resolve conflict situations

4. Report problems to supervisor

4.1 Comply with legal and ethical responsibilities and discuss difficulties with supervisor

4.2 Refer any breach or non adherence to standard procedures or adverse event to appropriate people

4.3 Refer issues impacting on achievement of employee, employer and/or client rights and responsibilities

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4.4 Refer unresolved conflict situations to supervisor

5. Complete workplace correspondence and documentation

5.1 Complete documentation according to legal requirement and organisation procedures

5.2 Read workplace documents relating to role and clarify understanding with supervisor

5.3 Complete written and electronic workplace documents to organisation standards

5.4 Follow organisation communication policies and procedures for using digital media

5.5 Use clear, accurate and objective language when documenting events

6. Contribute to continuous improvement

6.1 Contribute to identifying and voicing improvements in work practices

6.2 Promote and model changes to improved work practices and procedures in accordance with organisation requirements

6.3 Seek feedback and advice from appropriate people on areas for skill and knowledge development

6.4 Consult with manager regarding options for accessing skill development opportunities and initiate action

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P E R F O R M A N C E E V I D E N C E A N D K N O W L E D G E E V I D E N C E

This describes the essential knowledge and skills and their level required for this unit.

PERFORMANCE EVIDENCE

The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role. There must be evidence that the candidate has:

 Demonstrated effective communication skills in 3 different work situations

 Clarified workplace instructions and negotiated timeframes with 2 colleagues

 Responded appropriately to 3 different situations where communication

constraints were present

 Completed 2 written or electronic workplace documents to organisation

standards

KNOWLEDGE EVIDENCE

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the work role. This includes knowledge of:

 Legal and ethical considerations in relation to communication:

o Privacy, confidentiality and disclosure

o Discrimination

o Duty of care

o Mandatory reporting

o Translation

o Informed consent

o Work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations

o Child protection across all health and community services contexts,

including duty of care when child is not the client, indicators of risk

and adult disclosure

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 Sources of information and the application of legal and ethical aspects of

health and community services work

 Ethical decision making and conflicts of interest

 Principles of effective communication, including models, modes and types

 Communication techniques:

o Open ended questions, affirmations, reflections and summaries

o Difference between motivational interviewing and coercive approach

o Difference between collaboration and confrontation

 Influences on communication:

o Language

o Culture

o Religion

o Emotional state

o Disability

o Health

o Age

 Potential constraints to effective communication in health and community

service contexts

 Health and community services industry terminology relating to role and

service provision

 Importance of grammar, speed and pronunciation for verbal communication

 When and how to use and recognise non-verbal communication

 Structure, function and interrelationships between different parts of the

health and community service system

 Organisation structure and different models to support optimum client

service:

o Principles underpinning person-centred service delivery

o Principles of rights-based service delivery

o Different roles and responsibilities of team

o Characteristics of multi-disciplinary teams and how they are used

o Relationships between different members of the health and

community services workforces

o Role of support services

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o Links and interrelationships with other services

o Funding environment

 Digital media and use in community services and health sector, including:

o Web

o Email

o Social media

o Podcast and videos

o Tablets and applications

o Newsletters and broadcasts

o Intranet

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A S S E S S M E N T C O N D I T I O N S

Skills must have been demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated environment that reflects workplace conditions. Where simulation is used, it must reflect real working conditions by modelling industry operating conditions and contingencies, as well as, using suitable facilities, equipment and resources.

Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.

P R E - R E Q U I S I T E S

This unit must be assessed after the following pre-requisite unit:

There are no pre-requisites for this unit.

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T O P I C 1 – C O M M U N I C A T E E F F E C T I V E L Y W I T H P E O P L E

USE VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION TO ENHANCE UNDERSTANDING AND DEMONSTRATE RESPECT

Effective communication, skills are fundamental to success in many aspects of life. Many jobs require strong communication skills and socially, people with improved communication skills usually have better interpersonal relationships.

Effective verbal or spoken communication is dependent on a number of factors and cannot be fully isolated from other important interpersonal skills such as non-verbal communication, listening skills and clarification.

WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?

Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place to another.

Although this is a simple definition, when we think about how we may communicate the subject becomes a lot more complex. There are various categories of communication, and more than one may occur at any time. The different categories of communication are:

 Spoken or verbal communication

 Non-verbal communication

 Written communication

 Visualisations

Communication refers to the manner in which the meaning of a message is transmitted and received and includes:

Unaided communication such as:

 Natural gestures

 Facial expressions

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 Eye contact

 Vocalisation

 Key word signs - makaton vocabulary

Aided communication, where the person communicates using a communication aid (i.e. something other than their body) such as:

 Real objects

 Photographs

 Line drawings

 Communication aids such as 'chat books', personal communication dictionaries', 'books about me' etc.

 Electronic devices with speech output

Part of what makes us human is the ability to communicate ideas to each other using words. For a client who does not have the ability to communicate their thoughts in this manner life can be a lonely and frustrating experience.

VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Verbal communication includes sounds, words, language, and speech. Speaking is an effective way of communicating and helps in expressing our emotions in words. This form of communication is further classified into four types, which are:

 Intrapersonal Communication - This form of communication is extremely

private and restricted to ourselves. It includes the silent conversations we

have with ourselves; wherein we juggle roles between the sender and

receiver who are processing our thoughts and actions. This process of

communication, when analysed, can either be conveyed verbally to someone

or stay confined as thoughts.

 Interpersonal Communication - This form of communication takes place

between two individuals and is thus a one-on-one conversation. Here, the two

individuals involved will swap their roles of sender and receiver in order to

communicate in a clearer manner.

 Small Group Communication - This type of communication can take place

only when there are more than two people involved. Here the number of

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people will be small enough to allow each participant to interact and converse

with the rest. Press conferences, board meetings, and team meetings are

examples of group communication. Unless a specific issue is being discussed,

small group discussions can become chaotic and difficult to interpret by

everybody. This lag in understanding information completely can result in

miscommunication.

 Public Communication - This type of communication takes place when one

individual addresses a large gathering of people. Election campaigns and

public speeches are an example of this type of communication. In such cases,

there is usually a single sender of information and several receivers who are

being addressed.

NON-VERBAL

Nonverbal communication manages to convey the sender's message without having to use words.

This form of communication supercedes all other forms because of its usage and effectiveness. Nonverbal communication involves the use of physical ways of communication, such as tone of the voice, touch, and expressions.

Symbols and sign language are also included in nonverbal communication. Body posture and language convey a lot of nonverbal messages when communicating verbally with someone.

Folded arms and crossed legs are some of the defensive nonverbal signals conveyed by people. Shaking hands, patting and touching, express feelings of intimacy. Facial expressions, gestures and eye contact are all different ways of communication. Creative and aesthetic nonverbal forms of communication include music, dancing and sculpturing.

The way we communicate can play a major role in the success of our personal and professional relationships, and can significantly influence our ability to accomplish what we want and need, and achieve our potential.

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Words often play only a small part in the messages we communicate. Other factors, such as the way we present the words we use, our tone of our voice, and our body language – posture, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, and personal presentation – all play a significant role in how we communicate. Of course, the way we communicate depends on who our audience is and what the context is. But whether chatting informally with friends or colleagues or participating in formal decision-making processes, how we communicate influences other people’s response to us, and the outcome.

Listening is just as important in the communication process as talking. Active listening is a way of listening that consciously focuses entirely on what the other person is saying, where the listener seeks to understand both the content of the message, and the emotions and feelings underlying the message. The listener is not required to agree with the speaker, just to try to understand what the speaker is saying. It’s important that the listener suspends their own opinions and judgement, to fully attend to the speaker. Active listening is particularly useful in situations where understanding is critical, in emotionally charged situations, and in resolving conflict.1

The way we communicate information should be based purely on the information that we have received from the client or the information that needs to be communicated. The mode of communication needs to suit the purpose and the context of the enquiry.

1 http://www.ywca-canberra.org.au/womens_leadership/effective_communication

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COMMUNICATE SERVICE INFORMATION IN A MANNER THAT IS CLEAR AND EASILY UNDERSTOOD

Implementing and practicing effective communication strategies for the workplace, across all levels of the organisation, aid in achieving greater input and results.

Communication strengths vary from person to person. It is important to consider guide employees on the communication methods inherent in the organisation’s culture. When employees are well informed, they can concentrate better on their tasks and business goals, incorporating elements of cooperation and collaboration into the work environment.

According to Insider’s Link to Productivity, there are four areas of focus that organisations can consider when building a communication culture:

CONSISTENCY

An organisation that has an established work environment with sound communication standards, policies, procedures and practices provides high levels of comforts to employees, stakeholders and clients.

Consistency helps employees to understand and appreciate their duties and responsibilities. Communication methods that are consistently practiced encourage employees to articulate their questions and ideas.

One tool that can help promote consistent communication is the Meeting Agenda.

CLEAR DIRECTION

Complete information is imperative in workplace communication. Information such as the current status of a project, for example; objectives, approach or method, resources or tools and persons in charge should be clearly communicated to all involved.

Knowing what direction to go and having a roadmap in the form of milestones will help in achieving goals.

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Using a Strategic Team Plan cascaded to each team member provides clarity and metrics around goals and empowers employees to start and finish projects with less rogue actions or procrastination.2

ACCOUNTABILITY

Practicing communication accountability fosters effective communication in the workplace. Cooperating to accept a portion of the responsibility for any communication breakdown at work allows co-workers to cultivate a high level of accountability with one another because they have the proper and correct information, for instance, knowing who is responsible for a specific project or task.

An important place in the organisation for the practice of accountability in communication is at the leadership level. The communication skills established and displayed by leadership sets the kind of communication practices that will be demonstrated by the workforce.

Implementing an Accountability Program standardises how everyone is held accountable for their goals including management and leadership.3

CULTURE

Employees are more engaged and participative when there is effective communication in the workplace. A healthy organisational culture is attained when coordination, fairness and respect are infused in the communication practices.

Effective communication offers many benefits such as productivity growth, decrease in employee turnover and increase in employee engagement. When building communication strategies into a corporate culture, develop communication methods and protocols that will best suit your organisation’s needs. This will allow you to achieve sustainable results that will yield long-term benefits for the organisation.

2 http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs030/1102470511648/archive/1105010205045.html (accessed 8 May 2015) 3 Ibid.

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs030/1102470511648/archive/1105010205045.html
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CONFIRM THE PERSON’S UNDERSTANDING AND LISTEN TO REQUESTS, CLARIFY MEANING AND RESPOND APPROPRIATELY

CLARIFYING AND CLARIFICATION

In communication, clarification involves offering back to the speaker the essential meaning, as understood by the listener, of what they have just said. Thereby checking that the listener's understanding is correct and resolving any areas of confusion or misunderstanding.

Clarification is important in many situations especially when what is being communicated is difficult in some way. Communication can be 'difficult' for many reasons, perhaps sensitive emotions are being discussed - or you are listening to some complex information or following instructions. This page provides dialogue and examples of clarification and how you can use this simple technique to improve your communication skills.

The Purpose of Clarification is to:  Ensure that the listener's understanding of what the speaker has said is correct.

 Reassure the speaker that the listener is genuinely interested in them and is

attempting to understand what they are saying

As an extension of reflecting, clarifying reassures the speaker that the listener is attempting to understand the messages they are expressing. Clarifying can involve asking questions or occasionally summarising what the speaker has said. A listener can ask for clarification when they cannot make sense of the speaker's responses. Sometimes, the messages that a speaker is attempting to send can be highly complex, involving many different people, issues, places and/or times. Clarifying helps you to sort these out and also to check the speaker's priorities. Through clarification it is possible for the speaker and the listener to make sense of these often confused and complex issues. Clarifying involves genuineness on the listener's part and it shows speakers that the listener is interested in them and in what they have to say. 4

CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS

When you are the listener in a sensitive environment, the right sort of non-directive questioning can enable the speaker to describe their viewpoint more fully. Asking the right question at the right time can be crucial and comes with practice. The best questions are open-ended as they give the speaker choice in how to respond, whereas closed questions allow only very limited responses.

4 http://faudzil.blogspot.com/2013/11/communication-clarifying-and.html

http://faudzil.blogspot.com/2013/11/communication-clarifying-and.html
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OPEN QUESTIONS

If your role is to assist a speaker to talk about an issue, often the most effective questioning starts with 'when', 'where', 'how' or 'why'. These questions encourage speakers to be open and expand on their thoughts. For example:

 “When did you first start feeling like this?”

 “Why do you feel this way?”

CLOSED QUESTIONS

Closed questions usually elicit a 'yes' or 'no' response and do not encourage speakers to be open and expand on their thoughts. Such questions often begin with 'did you?' or 'were you?' For example:

 “Did you always feel like this?”

 “Were you aware of feeling this way?”

REFLECTING AND SUMMARISING

When we speak, we do not want to risk offending and alienating customers or colleagues by the words we use. Therefore, we need to:

 Speak clearly

 Avoid slang and jargon

 Develop our vocabulary

 Make the content appropriate and relevant

 Put the words in the correct context

Speak slowly and clearly Focus on clearly enunciating and slowing down your speech. Even if you’re pressured for time, don’t rush through your communication. Doing so often takes more time, as miscommunication and misunderstanding can result, and you’ll ultimately have to invest additional time in clearing up the confusion. Ask for clarification If you are not 100% sure you’ve understood what others say, politely ask for clarification. Avoid assuming you’ve understood what’s been said. Frequently check for understanding

Developed by Enhance Your Future Pty Ltd 21 CHCCOM005 - Communicate and work in health or community services Version 1.1

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Check both that you’ve understood what’s been said and that others have fully understood you. Practice reflective listening to check your own understanding (e.g. 'So what I hear you saying is…') and use open-ended questions to check other people’s understanding. Ask, 'what's your understanding of this process?' instead of 'is that clear?' Avoid idioms Business language is often contextual, and, therefore, culture specific. For example, in the US, baseball terms are used extensively: ‘Straight off the Bat,’ ‘Ballpark figures,’ ‘Out in left field,’ ‘Touch base,’ ‘Strike a deal’. As a good general rule, if the phrase requires knowledge of other information, be it a game or metaphor, recognize that this may make your communication more difficult to be understood. Be careful of jargon Watch the use of TLAs (Three Letter Abbreviations) and other organisational language that may not be understood by others. If you use them, provide in parentheses a description of what these are so others can learn to use the same language you do. Define the basics of business In international business contexts terms such as: ‘success’, ‘doneness’, ‘meetings’, ‘punctuality’, etc. may mean different things to different people. Spend time early in your communication defining what these mean to you and others. Invest in building a shared vocabulary. Be specific Spell out your expectations and deadlines clearly. Instead of, ‘Please get back to me shortly,’ say ‘Please email the completed report by 5 pm Eastern Standard time on Wednesday, February 21.’ Choose your medium of communication effectively Carefully choose your form of communication (phone or video conference, email, instant message, etc.). Be mindful not to ‘overuse’ email. While useful, there are times when the medium is likely to be ineffective. When a message is complex and complicated, or there is tension or conflict that needs to be resolved, switch to another medium. Provide information via multiple channels Follow phone calls with emails that summarize what’s been said. When possible, provide presentations, agendas, etc. in advance so those working in their non-native language can get familiar with materials. Be patient Cross-cultural communication takes more time. If not at all times, certainly initially you cannot expect your communication to occur with the same speed and ease as when you are communicating with someone from your own culture.5