Coordinator - Sweet Adelines International

Chapter 1: Team Tools
Regional Management Team Handbook
4/13
• Honor a deserving individual. Make it known if someone has received an honor,
so that she (he) can be properly congratulated by you and everyone else.
Here are some conversation don’ts:
• Don’t tell insider jokes or use insider jargon. Not only will this information not
impress people, it will make them feel uncomfortable.
• Don’t be a conversation hog. Let others speak, even if you know more about the
subject than anyone else present.
• Don’t sit in a group and talk to just one person. Let your eyes sweep everyone in
the group so that all present feel involved and important.
• Never make fun of your colleagues or customers (teammates or regional
members). It will almost always get back to that person and then you will have
ruined any chance for a harmonious relationship.
• Don’t discuss inappropriate topics. Match the topic to the occasion. For example,
don’t discuss illness and related topics during a meal.
Active Listening
Communication isn’t just talking, it’s listening, too. According to research studies conducted
by Dr. Paul Rankin at Ohio State University, the average person spends 70 to 80
percent of his or her waking day in some form of communications process. Of this time,
nine percent is spent writing, 16 percent reading, 30 percent talking, and 45 percent
listening. In other words, the average person spends six hours a day listening!
Since most people have never received any instruction or training in how to listen, many
of us are not effective listeners. Research conducted at Minnesota University by Dr.
Ralph G. Nichols indicates that the average person is only 25 percent effective as a
listener. In other words, only two minutes out of every 10 minutes of spoken
communications directed toward a person is received. Fortunately, communication
scientists tell us that listening is a skill that can be taught, learned, and improved.
However, becoming an effective listener requires concentration and practice.
Active listening is the process whereby the receiver of the message clearly communicates
the intention of wanting to understand the ideas and feelings of the sender. An active,
effective listener establishes eye contact and a posture which clearly indicates he or she
is listening. The key to active listening is to focus on the feelings of the other person in
the communication process. The receiver puts the message into her own words and sends
it back for verification. The receiver does not send a message of her own (evaluation,
criticism, advice), only what she perceives the sender’s message to be. An active listener
is open, rather than judgmental. Following are some effective listening techniques:
Concentrate. Really listen to the speaker. Don’t formulate your own opinion or
reply while the sender is talking.
Attitude. Your own attitude and level of interest in hearing the sender’s message is
vital to the process.
Feedback. It is important not to parrot (return the person’s exact words), but
to paraphrase, conveying the deeper meaning of what is being said. You can
Team Tools • 1-5