Communication Skill ExerciseBuilding your Communication Skills with Active ListeningCommunication Skill Exercise - Active Listening Communication comes in many forms. You could communicate your feelings by a putting a frown on your face. Or you could wave across the street to someone. This is called “non-verbal” communication. Or you could communicate by speaking. Sometimes our verbal communication does not match our non-verbal gestures. “I’m not really upset about it,” she said with tears in her eyes.
When we are practising active listening we are using both non-verbal and verbal communication while being aware of what the other person is trying to communicate to us. Throughout this communication skill exercise consider these points: How does active listening look and feel? How does it feel to have someone REALLY listening and how does it feel to have someone HALF listening or not listening at all? How often did you have some sort of an assumption when asking or listening to the other person? How do small children ask a question?… with no assumption, just curiousity.
Communication Skill Exercise:
Your goal is to make your friends and family talk more about their lives and situations. For a minimum of one week, practise being the listener in different conversations. (Jot down your findings as you go.) *As an active listener you remove all judgement about the other person’s situation. *You do not give them any advice or your opinion – you just simply listen. *You do not do the talking – you allow them to talk. You give them the freedom to express, to let go of anything they have bottled up. *You may notice that if you nod your head at appropriate times it encourages them to talk more. *Be aware of how eye contact affect the flow of communication – if eye contact gets them talking more then make eye contact – if not then don’t. If you look away and stare at something in the distance does it make them hesitate or stop talking? If so, then keep your focus on them – keep them chatting! *Use verbal cues during the conversation to encourage them to talk – “aha”, “oh yah”. (If you want any ideas – watch a talk show and see how they get a person to talk – or even curve the conversation when needed). Organise some time with a friend for a cuppa and practise being a listener. Practise being the listener with your children. Ask the lady at the grocery store where she got her necklace – and just listen without talking – nod your head – “wow”, “really?”. During this communication skill exercise try experimenting with body language during the different conversations. How do they react when you lean forward? When you make eye contact? When you cross your arms? When you look away while they are talking? How does each body movement feel to you? And how does it affect the flow of the conversation? What do you think your body language is telling the other person? Pay attention to their body language. Did their body language match with their verbal communication? Were they fidgeting, looking down, looking away? Did they look directly at you when telling you something? Or clear their throat? How does their body language affect how you feel? If it’s a person you dislike and they lean towards you how do you feel? Or if it’s a friend who touches your arm how do you feel? Be consciously aware in the communication skill exercise of how non-verbal communication affects the situation. If the person you are leaning into backs off then they are feeling uncomfortable and give them space. If you lean on a table to indicate interest while your friend is chatting notice her reaction – does she chat with more fervour or get shy and embarrassed with what she is saying?
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