Guidelines
for Supportive Communication
Coaching
vs. Counseling
As a financial aid
counselor, I believe that it is important to differentiate between coaching and
counseling a student. Why, because every student is different and his/her needs
are different; some students prefer coaching while others prefer counseling. Although,
both communication styles have proven to be effective, I believe that coaching
a student is more effective than counseling a student. Why, because most of the
student who contact the financial aid office to obtain more information do not
understand the financial aid process. By coaching a student, I can provide him
or her with the information necessary to make responsible financial decisions.
Authentic
Communication
For the most part,
organizations do not welcome authentic communication. Why, because authentic
communication goes beyond ethical communication in that the person tells his or
her true feeling without fist evaluating the situation. However, I believe that
in order to be an effective communicator one must be true to his or her
thoughts and feelings; I pride myself on communicating authentically. I am the type of person who has a tendency for
speaking authentically, I will tell you exactly what I think and feel; but, I
do try to refrain from hurt someone else’s feelings.
Feedback
Feedback is one of the
most important aspect of leadership. A leader must provide effective feedback
to his or her team in order achieve success. Feedback is a necessary part of effective
problem solving. As a leader, providing
feedback to my team, I would seek to understand the situation fully: I would determine
what happen, find out who was affected, and suggest the possible acceptable
alternatives.
Problem
–Oriented Statements vs. Person-Orientated Statements
In order to effectively
communicate with someone about a problem, one must first define the problem and
then find possible referent points. Meaning one should focus on behaviors or
events from the past in order to reference a problem rather than personally
attacking the other person’s attributes. As a leader, it is important to
understand that people often do not change and that change can only be
accomplished through problem-oriented statements.
Fostering
two-way Communication
Fostering two-way
communication is the key to maintaining successful relationships. By
acknowledging the other person’s uniqueness and promoting two-way interchanges,
one can identify areas of agreement and establish mutual respect. Two-way communication is an essential part of
the maintaining progress within the financial aid department. By demonstrating
flexibility and humility, the financial aid department creates open lines of
communication and promotes group-think.
Specific,
Not Global
When attempting to
correct someone’s behavior, it is important to use specific statements rather
than global statements; meaning that one must focus only on those behaviors
that can be changed, rather than attempting to change those behaviors that are
beyond one’s control. I believe that
this guideline can be applied both personally and professionally. For example,
I can use specific communication to correct the behavior of someone within my
family or someone at the office. Specific communication is about understanding
the types of behaviors that can be changed.
Conjunctive,
Not Disjunctive
When conversing with
others, it is important to use conjunctive statements. Conjunctive statements are
statements that flow smoothly and do not contain long unnecessary pauses.
Conjunctive statements allow all participants to have an equal opportunity to
talk. It ensures that all participants can express his or her thoughts and feelings
without interruption. Conjunctive statements attempt to avoid one individual from
dominating the conversation.
Own
Your Statements
By using the word I,
one can refrain from blaming other for his or her problems. For example, if two
people are arguing and one person frequently places blame by using the word “you”
he or she will receive a negative response from the listener. However, if that
same person uses the word “I” instead of “you” he or she will receive a
positive response from the listener. Why, because he/she owns his or her statements
and is not placing blame on anyone other than him/herself.
Demonstrate
Supportive Listening
Supportive listening is
one of the basic concepts of communication. In order to be a supportive listener,
one must maintain eye contact, be responsive both verbally and non-verbally and
provide feedback when necessary. Supportive listening is simply being
respectful to the speaker. I find that even if I have no interest in what the
other person is saying, I must be supportive and provide feedback.
Implementing
Supportive Communication
In order to build and
maintain strong positive relationships, foster personal development, and
provide supportive listening one must implement the above behavior guidelines
to supportive communication.
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