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Communication Strategies for
Service Providers: Do’s and don’ts
Constantly consulting with customers
is a major part of being a workforce development professional. For instance,
during the placement process, you are often required to communicate with the
customer before, during, and after job placement. You may also be required to
communicate with employers, your other customer, during this process.
It’s important to know not just what to say, but how to say it. Process is as
important as content ---you’re not handling merchandise, you’re relating with
people!
Practice Active Listening
Active
listening is an underrated communication skill; its benefits are many and
significant. For one, active listening allows you to have a comprehensive and
accurate grasp of your customers’ message, which in turn helps you craft a
qualified response. More importantly, active listening sends a message of
sincerity, respect and acceptance.
Attend to your customers not just
with your ear, but with your whole body. If it’s evident in your body language
that you are actively listening, you encourage the customer to be more open and
trusting. Simple things like maintaining eye contact, leaning forward towards
the speaker, and avoiding distracting mannerisms, can go a long way.
Paraphrasing is also an excellent way to communicate that you’re listening,
particularly if you’re conversing with a person who’s blind or visually impaired
who may not otherwise pick up on your body language. Paraphrasing is summarizing
what you understood and asking for feedback if your comprehension is accurate.
On a related note, active listening also means admitting when you don’t
understand something. When conversing with an individual with a speech
impairment, don’t pretend that you understood something when you actually
didn’t. Rather, ask your customer to repeat what s/he said. Clarifying is a
listening skill that tells a speaker you sincerely wish to understand their
message.
And, don’t forget! Clear your mind of distractions when
listening. Don’t rehearse what to say next, or indulge in an off-topic thought.
The more focused you are, the better listener you’ll be.
Build a
Circle of Trust
Trust is integral in any relationship. Even if
you just met, there are already many ways you can communicate that you’re a
trustworthy person.
First, keep your word. When you say you’re going to
do something, follow through. A service provider who’s absent at a meeting s/he
committed to attend can hardly be seen as someone reliable!
Keep things
professional and mind your boundaries. If your customers can sense that you’re
involved, but objective, they’ll feel more comfortable with you. Always ensure
privacy and confidentiality. Hard-built trust can fall with just one breach of
ethics.
Remember, too, that disability information, or any information,
should only be shared on a “need to know” basis. Don’t probe for information
that has no relevance to the goals of the consultation. In the case of a
workforce development professional, this means information related to the job
placement process only.
Respect
Treat customers
with dignity and courtesy; don’t assuming things about their needs, feelings and
competence because of their disabilities. Like their able-bodies counterparts,
many persons with disabilities have also led fulfilling personal, relational and
work lives. Ultimately, they are a person first. Their disability does not
define them.
When discussing disability, always use “person first”
language. For example, say “person who uses a wheelchair” rather than “someone
who is wheelchair-bound.” Avoid designations that might be interpreted as
patronizing like “sweetie” or “dear.” In fact, just ask your customer what
they’d like to be called; don’t assume.
Use appropriate disability
etiquette and basic manners. Don’t assume someone wants or requires assistance;
persons with disabilities have likely been dealing with different tasks for some
time. If it is your policy to ask everyone if they need assistance, that’s
great. Otherwise, wait to be asked. Then, don’t go beyond the request.
As a rule, when asking questions, remember to stick to questions that are
relevant to the service you are providing. Personal curiosity is never a good
reason to raise a question. Don’t “steer” a customer to a particular job based
on disability – it’s illegal! Neither should you give disability related advice
(e.g. medication, treatment).
Adapt to the situation – don’t follow a
script. As long as you mind basic manners and etiquette, there’s no need to be
self-conscious. It’s also okay to just ask what someone needs.
Show Concern
Make sure your customers are comfortable with the
process. Choose your words wisely and be aware of your tone.
Be sure to
limit or avoid physical contact. It’s fine to shake hands in greeting, but
hugging or constant touching of the arm may communicate the wrong message to
your customer. If you need to make physical contact in order to assist a person,
that’s fine. Just be sure to obtain their permission first.
Would you like to reprint this article?
You may as long as you include this blurb in its entirety:
Lisa Jordan
is a disability and workforce development expert. Lisa uses her keen ability to
identify challenges and develop solutions so
that workforce development professionals can increase their comfort level,
productivity and effectiveness when working with a diverse clientele. Download
Lisa’s White Paper on 5 Easy Disability Tips to Immediately Increase Agency
Accessibility by visiting
http://www.human-solutions.net.
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