Communication Skills - Recognising Non-Verbals For Healthcare Service Providers
Client Organisation:
NHS
Departments:
In-House and Community Based Services
Context:
A department of the NHS responsible for provision of services to both other NHS departments and members of the general public wanted to ensure that staff were better equipped to manage relationships with service users. Non-verbal communications skills are an important part of communication in general but also in developing and managing effective rapport - a cornerstone of any relationship.
Objectives:
Developing simple methods of better managing relationships with people who may not like what they are being told was the key criteria for the training.
Format & Duration:
With only 1 day available to conduct the training it was essential that the methods were easy to understand and implement. The training was conducted with an emphasis on practical exercises and linking those exercises to the specific work based contexts in which they could be applied.
Outcomes:
The department leader was satisfied that the skills were simple to implement into any communication and invited us back to conduct the same training exercise with other teams too.
Comments:
Non verbal communication is an essential aspect of any succesful communication but it becomes increasingly important when there is tension between the communicating parties. Recognising that everyone responds non-verbally and how to interpret non-verbal communication is a skill that lends itself to flexibility as a communicator and therefore influence as a leader.