„‚ CONDITIONS THAT HINDER EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

trainer must give that person sufficient feedback about how to fine tune the role or self
he or she is assuming.
The trainer also should redefine his or her own role so that it is appropriate to the
task that is assigned. For example, if a trainer facilitates a group activity in which
trainees assume the roles of practicing professionals in occupational therapy (O.T.), the
trainer may need to interact with the trainees while they are still in role. This interaction
could cause the trainees to shift in and out of the assigned roles.
To avoid this problem, trainers can redefine the facilitative role in a way
appropriate to the roles assigned trainees. In the present example, a trainer could say,
“My role in this activity is to be your O.T. consultant. If you have a problem in working
with your O.T. client and don’t know what to do, you may call on me to give you some
input.” Assuming the role of consultant to the activity assists the participants in
maintaining the roles essential to their learning.
Giving trainees positive feedback about the new roles they are about to assume is
helpful. Statements like “You are really effective when you’re an active listener” are
positive reinforcements to help them maintain the newly negotiated selves that they have
discovered during the training event. Support during the training event will help them to
continue their new roles when they return to their work environments.
CONCLUSION
The transactional communication model has been applied to a variety of training
situations, such as gerontology (Litterst & Ross, 1982), intercultural communication
(Broome, 1991), child care (Prizant & Wetherby, 1990), and child development
(Sameroff, 1975). This model is not limited by any area of training expertise, and the
possibilities of application are limitless.
The transactional view requires that a more integrated perspective of multiple
variables be considered, including system, process, perception, meaning, no fault or
blame, and negotiation of selves. This approach recognizes that focusing only on
isolated aspects of training without considering the interrelationships among and
between these different variables may be of limited value and may not be true to the
realities of the training. This view also requires consideration of the complex
interdependencies among trainers, trainees, and organizational and situational contexts.
When the transactional model is applied to training, it helps us to see the
complexity of factors in successful training. The more we take these factors into
consideration, the more likely we are to be successful in our training endeavors.
REFERENCES
Applegate, J.S., & Delia, J.G. (1980). Person-centered speech, psychological development, and the contexts of
language usage. In R. St. Clair & H. Giles (Eds.), The social and psychological contexts of language (pp.
114-131). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
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The Pfeiffer Library Volume 6, 2nd Edition. Copyright ©1998 Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer