1. Interpersonal Communication Skills
Command & Control
Interpersonal Communication Skills
Welcome everyone to the class Introduce yourself
Explain the where the restrooms are and about the coffee
Instructor’s Aid

2. Importance of Communication Skills Objective 1
WHY
DOES IT
MATTER?
Ask: Why are communication skills between staff so important?
Ask: Is it just as important between upper management and mid-management?

3. Importance of Communication Skills Objective 1
One of the most important skills you can develop.
Clear, open communications will mean success at every career level.
Clear, open communications will mean success at every career level!
Ask: What does this statement mean to you?

4. Importance of Communication Skills Objective 1
More effective on the job:
Staff will have a better understanding of your wants and expectations.
Ask: Would it be better to have staff understand what you want the to do or figure it out on their own?
Click button
If the staff are better prepared, they should be able to defuse tension and control behavior if needed.
Better prepared to defuse tensions & control behavior.

5. Importance of Communication Skills Objective 1
More productive & satisfying relationships.
Prevent misunderstandings that can lead to alienation or conflict.
Read slide
Better understanding of job requirements.

6. Importance of Communication Skills Objective 1
Most importantly….
Good Communication Skills Can Help You Stay Safe!
This should be the primary concern for all levels of the department of corrections
The safety of the public, staff, volunteers, contractors and the inmates

7. Fundamentals of Communication Objective 2
Two
Fundamental
Elements of
Communication
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8. Fundamentals of Communication Objective 2
Receiving
And
Read
Lets talk about these
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Sending

9. Fundamentals of Communication Objective 2
When we communicate:
We either take information in or send it out.
Most of the time, the two happen SIMULTANEOUSLY.
Communicating is a two way street. We must gather the information and then we must be able to deliver it to the intended recipient.
Most of the time the two happen simultaneously, but there are times when part of the communication process over powers the other part. It takes at least two to communicate. When one fails to use both sides of communication, then communication ceases.
Always remember you must listen as well as speak

10. Fundamentals of Communication Objective 2
Because good communication skills are essential to safety & control
We must constantly be aware of these two components
Both components are important to the safety to the security of the public as well as the persons working inside the facility

11. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Receiving
Ask: What does receiving mean to you?

12. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
The first step in receiving interpersonal communication is not what you hear, it’s what you SEE!
Be observant of what is happening around you. As a supervisor you might not have first hand knowledge of the situation you are dealing with, so you must keep your eyes open and see what is happening right now. What you see can help tie information together.

13. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Your visual impression of the other person,
and their impression of you,
Is critically important in establishing effective communications from the very beginning.
Ask: How should you not judge a book? By its cover.
Ask: How many first impressions do you get? One
Think about this. If you get a chance to give a first impression with every conversation you enter into, wouldn’t you want it to be a positive experience?
Don’t start the communication process with a negative expression. Let the staff member see that you are open to their side of the story. You need to get all sides of the event before you start making judgments. There could be a very good explanation.
Do not be judged by the cover you present.

14. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
There are Four
Non-verbal communications skills
Positioning
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Move to the next slide
Posturing
Observing
Listening

15. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Positioning:
You should always physically position yourself in relationship to the individual or group so as to manage the situation effectively.
Positioning: What does this mean?
When dealing with inmates, it is how you position yourself in an area for safety as well as keeping yourself in a position to observe but why is it so important when dealing with a staff member?
If you position yourself correctly, you can turn the meeting into a positive event.
Example: Instead of sitting behind your desk, get out from behind it and sit next to the staff member. This positioning skill makes you seem less of a superior and more of a concerned person. If the meeting is a concealing session, you will give the appearance of wanting to help the employee succeed.

16. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Looking Directly:
Means to look directly at the individual, group or area you are supervising or observing.
When dealing with any situation, you must give it your full attention. Do not answer the phones, work on the computer, or other paperwork. This gives the appearance of you don’t really care about this individuals situation.
Give the situation your full attention.

17. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Posturing:
Like positioning, posturing also has three main components.
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Standing Erect
Eliminating Distracting Behaviors
Leaning Forward

18. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Standing Erect:
The purpose of standing erect is to show your INTEREST
&
CONFIDENCE
Standing Erect shows that you are interested in what is happening. It also shows that you are confident in making a decision to whatever the situation you are dealing with.

19. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Eliminating Distracting Behaviors:
Besides a commanding posture, you need to eliminate distracting behaviors.
Ask: What are distracting behaviors?
Click and show examples
Nail biting, playing with hair or moustache, clicking pens, jingling keys or change, etc.

20. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Eliminating Distracting Behaviors:
Remember: If you can’t stand steady, you may be perceived as nervous and less confident.
Read slide
A perception you definitely want to avoid.

21. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Leaning Forward:
To complete your in-control posture, lean forward slightly.
This can be done at your desk as well. If you lean forward at your desk it gives the impression of interest. Leaning back could give the impression of non interest
Indicates that you are attentive & focused. Also a sign of respect.

22. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Discussion:
What are your DISTRACTING BEHAVIORS?
How did you overcome them?

23. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Observing:
Observing is the ability to notice and understand appearances, behavior, and the surrounding environment.
Observing: the gathering of information. This is the process where you gather the information you will need to make decisions. Before you come to a decision you must use these skills to gather all the information you can get.

24. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Observing:
Careful observation of staff as well as their environment, will provide important information about the staffs feeling and potential problems.
If you understand the conditions the staff are working in, you will have a better understanding of what their issues may be. You need to get out and see what your staff must deal with on a day to day basis. Watch them do their job. Give suggestions of how you think they could improve their performance or ask why they do a specific task that way.
If you get out and see what is done in specific areas, when these staff members come to you with issues, you will understand and be able to assist their concerns.

25. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Observing:
Four steps to observing,
Looking Carefully
Making Inferences
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Normal or Abnormal
Trouble or No Trouble

26. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Looking Carefully:
Observing means looking carefully at appearance, behavior, and environment.
Does this mean you must lash out if you see an issue with a uniform or how a staff member treated an inmate. No. There could be issues that lead up to this staff member having a bad day. We are all human beings and we have bad days.
Your job as the supervisor is to encourage the employees to succeed and to become a better employee.

27. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Looking Carefully:
These non-verbal cues may be important in helping you to interpret the verbal communications you receive.
Looking carefully before you enter a situation could help you de-escalate the situation.

28. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Making Inferences:
Observing means to make inferences about a persons feelings, relationships, and energy levels.
Read then ask: What is an inference?
Click
An inference is an evaluation based on visual evidence.
An inference is an evaluation based on visual evidence.

29. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Making Inferences:
Through observation, you should try to detect energy levels.
Example: You notice energy levels are escalating which could lead to an unpleasant interaction.
What do you do? Discuss

30. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Normal or Abnormal:
During your observation, you need to decide if a situation is normal or abnormal.
Ask: What is abnormal? Abnormal means any behavior that is not routine or expected.
Ask: Are we worried about the normal happenings? Shouldn't be
Abnormal means any behavior that is not routine or expected.

31. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Trouble or No Trouble:
Finally, observing means deciding whether you have a trouble or no trouble situation.
Flows logically from your knowledge of normal or abnormal.

32. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Listening:
The final component of the non-verbal skills is listening.
Contrary…., listening is not a passive skill, it is an active skill.
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33. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Listening:
Involves four actions,
Suspending Judgment
Picking Out Key Words
Assessing Intensity
Determining The Mood
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34. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Suspending Judgment:
To listen well, you should temporarily suspend your judgment about a person or situation.
Suspending judgment: This can be hard to achieve. As human beings we have persons we favor more than others but in a supervisory roles we must put these feelings aside. Do not make your judgment about the situation based on your feelings you have toward someone. All situations are different and this person may be best equipped to deal with the situation.
As well, do not set people up for failure due to the past. Your responsibility as a supervisor is to have all your employees succeed. When one of your employees fails, you failed at an opportunity to achieve.
SOMETIMES DIFFICULT

35. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Suspending Judgment:
Essential that we remain OPEN-MINDED while listening.
SOMETIMES DIFFICULT

36. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Picking Out Key Words:
While suspending judgment, try to pick out key words or phrases.
Ask: How are key words going to help you in a conversation? It can help you to steer the conversation in the correct direction or defuse possible future issues.
May be indicators of future behavior.

37. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Picking Out Key Words:
Most people talk about what is on their mind.
So, if you hear words like “payback” or “getting even”…

38. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Assessing Intensity:
Listening also means assessing the intensity of the words.
Ask: How would understanding the intensity help you as a supervisor? You as the supervisor should be in control of the conversation. You must control the intensity. If you loose control, the communication process stops. If you let your employee loose control, again the communication process stops. If you keep the intensity level low, better communication occurs creating a better outcome for all.
Intensity will be indicated by volume or level of emotion.

39. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Assessing Intensity:
When emotions run high, speech tends to get faster and louder.

40. Non-verbal Skills Objective 3
Determining the Mood:
Effective listening also means determining the mood of the speaker, which can be positive, negative, or neutral.
Ask: Does mood play a factor?
Lets put this into perspective. Say you are the supervisor and you call an employee into your office. What do you think they mood is automatically going to be. Lets look it from their point of view. They have been summoned to the bosses office and they do not know why. Every minor violation they may have committed is now in the forefront of their mind. Most employees think they are about to get chewed out making their mood very defensive. Even if this will be a meeting about a performance issue, you as the supervisor are there to try to improve their performance by building their self esteem, not tear them down.
Mood Guides Response!

41. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Sending

42. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Verbal Assessing Skills:
All of the skills have been non-verbal and involve deciding if things are okay or if there might be a problem.

43. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Verbal Assessing Skills:
Most of the time, more than just non-verbal information is needed to completely understand a situation.

44. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Verbal Assessing Skills:
We also need to rely on the other side of interpersonal communications……
Ask: How do we get our vision across? We send it out
All the visions we have in our head does no good unless we can convey it to others.
The sending side.

45. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Verbal Assessing Skills:
While the next set of skills involve speaking, the goal is still to receive or gather more information.
If questions are not asked clear and concise, you will not get back the proper information you need.
You will use verbal sending skills to assess a situation further.

46. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Verbal Assessing Skills:
There are two verbal assessing tools that you will want to develop….
Acknowledging & Asking Questions

47. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Acknowledging:
Means reflecting back to the speaker the content, the feeling, and the meaning of what is being communicated.
You want to let the employee know that you understand what they are trying to tell you. You must understand what the content, feeling and the meaning of the statement they have mabe.

48. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Acknowledging:
Active listening and careful observing pays off because…
Acknowledging requires you to reflect back what you have seen and heard.

49. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Acknowledging:
Simply restate in your own words what you have observed and what the speaker is saying.
Paraphrase to the employee what you heard them say. If you misunderstood them it will give them the opportunity to clarify their statement again.
Paraphrase

50. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Asking Questions:
Comes into play when you need more information in order to evaluate the complete content, feeling, and meaning of what is being said.

51. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Asking Questions:
You may have to ask questions to get to the bottom of the problem or request.
Dependant on the speakers ability to articulate clearly.

52. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Asking Questions:
Remember the 5 ‘W’s…….
WHO
WHEN
What are the five “W’s” and one “H”
WHAT
WHY
WHERE
HOW

53. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Asking Questions:
Remember to continue your non-verbal skills while comparing the spoken word with the rest of your observations.

54. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Asking Questions:
The idea behind verbal assessing skills is to get a complete understanding not only of the words, but the complete content, feelings and meaning.

55. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Getting Results:
There are three kinds of results you will want from the subject you are communicating with, based on three kinds of interactions……

56. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Getting Results:
They are Handling Request, Making Request of Them, and Reinforcing Behavior.

57. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Getting Results:
You want to reassure your subject that……………….
You have heard their request and will act on it,
For better results from your employees you need to follow through with what you say you are going to do. If you follow through, you gain the respect from your staff. The more respect you have from your staff, the more productive they become.

58. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Getting Results:
You will want to make request of them and expect them to be carried out, and
Give the positive reinforcement in public. Make them feel good in front of their peers if you can.
If you do need to discipline, you need to do this in private. Do not embarrass them. You need to get these people to work for you not despise you.
You will want to reinforce the subjects behavior.

59. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Getting Results:
Praise or Reward positive behavior.
Discourage or Hold subjects Accountable for negative behavior.

60. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Handling Request:
Handling Request requires just two steps…….
Checking out the request and Responding with a reason for your decision.
Read Slide

61. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Checking Out Request:
Means deciding if the request is legitimate-is the subject leveling with you?
If it is legitimate – is it within the parameters of the rules.

62. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Checking Out Request:
Once you have made both these determinations,
Respond to the request and give a reason for your answer.

63. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Responding With A Reason:
After you have determined that the request is legitimate, only three choices you can make in response……

64. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Responding With A Reason:
“Yes, because……………..,”
“No, because……….…,” or
“I’ll look into it, because...,”
Have a reason when you deliver any of these responces.

65. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Responding With A Reason:
Giving a good, legitimate reason is not a sign of weakness.
On the contrary, best way to prevent a problem from escalating.

66. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Keeping Your Word:
If you tell someone that you will find out about about something or that you will do something……
Do It and report back.

67. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Keeping Your Word:
Nothing will undermine your credibility quicker than not keeping your word.

68. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Making Request:
Two kinds of request:
Polite Request
Direct Request - orders

69. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Polite Request:
You should use mild or polite request as much as possible. Why?
CONVEYS RESPECT

70. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Direct Request:
Sometimes being polite doesn’t work!
Problem with direct request is that your options are limited.

71. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Making Request:
Two steps to both types of request.
Assessing the Situation
Taking Action

72. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Making Request:
Use your observation skills to check out the subject and the environment before you make a request.
FACE SAVING

73. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Making Request:
Request are most effective when they are NOT followed by threats or implied consequences.
Respond to content & feeling

74. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Reinforcing Behavior:
Specifically, reinforce or reward positive behavior
Discipline or discourage negative behavior.

75. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Positive Reinforcement:
Means strong, emphatic and immediate statements, and non-verbal expressions, of approval, support and agreement with what has been said or done.

76. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Positive Reinforcement:
Should be intense enough to distinguish it from your normal level of concern or interest.

77. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Negative Reinforcement:
Discouraging negative behavior is the other side of the response coin!
Use disapproving statements or the certainty of consequences to sanction inappropriate behavior.

78. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Negative Reinforcement:
Remember: Verbal and non-verbal responses should be strong, emphatic, and immediate.

79. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Negative Reinforcement:
As soon as behavior changes to positive, reward it with positive reinforcement.

80. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Depersonalizing Conflict:
First depersonalize conflict between you and the subject.
Simply enforcing the rules, regulations or the law.
“It’s nothing personal”

81. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Personalize Cooperation:
Approach each subject with an expectation of cooperation built on mutual respect,
Rather than an expectation of conflict based on suspicion or pre-judgment.

82. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Personalize Cooperation:
When you get positive behavior, personalize your positive reinforcement.
Hendley, I really liked the way you talked to Johnson.

83. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Present Choices:
To help an individual toward more socially acceptable behavior is to help them take responsibility for their own actions by presenting choices.

84. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Present Choices:
Offer the choice to cooperate or take the consequences that go with their actions.
“It’s up to you”

85. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Present Choices:
Caution them not to make it personal by making it a win-lose situation.
It’s not, “do this or you’re going to lose privileges.”

86. Verbal Communications Skills Objective 4
Present Choices:
Instead, it should be presented as an opportunity for a win-win.
“Sam, it’s time to clean up your cell so you can earn your hygiene points.”
“It’s up to you”