1. M.A.T.C.H. Professional Series: Module Six
Effective Communication
Time allotted for slides 1-4: 10 minutes
Materials needed for this module (3 hours):
Various objects for participants to choose from (feather, gem, leaves, stones, straws, safety pin, battery, slinky, key). If you do not have objects to bring with you, consider asking participants to draw an object, or insert photos of objects onto a ppt slide to show and have participants choose from.
Handout 6A, Styles of Communication
Blank paper for note taking
Action Planning Form

2. M.A.T.C.H. Professional Series
Eleven 3-hour training modules
Goals:
Share and practice effective strategies
Gain new information, resources and tools
Enhance reflection
Develop a community of practice
Handout 1A: Series Outline
The modules are based on the M.A.T.C.H. knowledge and competencies and current evidence based research and practices. 
Review the bullet points on this slide with participants. Offer additional information regarding the purpose for the series by sharing the following:
Increase strategies and resources for mentoring, coaching, and consultation for MATCH professionals working in VT.
To enhance skills in self-awareness, flexible response, reflection and problem solving
To provide consistent content and skills based on the MATCH Knowledge and Competencies state-wide, while addressing regional and individual needs
Review Handout 1A with participants. 

3. Our Time Together Working Together: Connection and Community
Inquiry and Sharing: Capacity Building
Learning
Exploring
Applying and Planning
Share with participants that each module will have consistent components, however, the flow may look different within each module (Some modules will have a learn section and follow with exploring, and then move into a new learning piece followed by exploring. Other modules may have one learning section followed by exploring and then move right into applying and planning). 
As you share the components with the participants, highlight which icon is associated with which component. 
Working Together: Connection and Community (circle with people)
Inquiry and Sharing: Capacity Building (question mark)
Learning (book)
Exploring (magnifying glasses)
Applying and Planning (pencil)

4. Objectives for Today: Define communication
Describe communication preferences and styles of communication
Reflect on experiences as a communicator
Practice strategies that reflect active listening and respectful communication
Share the bullet points with participants. 

5. Working Together: Connection and Community
Time allotted for this section: 25 minutes

6. Shared Agreements ENGAGE Silence phones, please
Limit sidebars during whole group
Assume positive intent
Hold confidentiality
Take care of yourself
What else?
Review the slide with participants. Ask the group if there are ideas or requests they would like to ask of you and their colleagues to help make the environment conducive for sharing, understanding and learning from and with one another. Using chart paper, write down and capture their responses. 
Ask participants if there are other agreements to add; ask if everyone can agree to these. 
Facilitator Tip: Keep this piece of chart paper with agreements and bring to each session. You can change the slide to include additional participant agreements for the upcoming sessions. 

7. Reflection and Connection
As you think about the word “communication,” select an object that best describes or represents
What communication means to you, or
The importance of communication, or
How a MATCH professional communicates with a client
Journal for 3 minutes around why you picked this object
Create groups of 3-4 people
Discuss your objects and why you chose the object you did
Needed: bring various objects for participants to choose from (feather, gem, leaves, stones, straws, safety pin, battery, slinky, key). If you do not have objects to bring with you, consider asking participants to draw an object, or insert photos of objects onto a ppt slide to show and have participants choose from.
Ask participants to think about the word “communication” and what it means for them. Next, ask them to select an object that best represents what it means to them, the importance of, or how a MATCH professional communicates with a client.
Ask participants what drew them to the object they selected. Provide paper and ask participants to journal for 3-minutes around why they picked the objected they picked.
Next, ask participants to create small groups and share.

8. Inquiry and Sharing: Capacity Building
Time allotted for this section: 30 minutes
Let participants know you are moving into inquiry and sharing. Explain that for each module, there will be opportunity to share and discuss current happenings in their work, as well as ask questions and for feedback. 
Facilitator Note: The ways in which the group will experience inquiry and sharing within each module will differ. 

9. MATCH Cafe
In your group, answer the prompt – offer ideas, suggestions and support to others in your group!
When time is up, move with your group to the next prompt
Repeat this process
Record two ideas from your group on the chart paper at the front of the room
Divide participants into 3 groups (or more if needed to keep each group under 5 or 6 people.) If the whole group is under 6 people, you could simply discuss the prompts all together.
Ask each group to move to a table and answer the prepared prompts. You could use chart paper for people to track their responses within groups, or have a more unstructured discussion. After an appropriate period of time, ask groups to rotate to a different table to respond to a different prompt.
Possible prompts:
What would you like others to know about your MATCH work?
What are your thoughts about the sessions so far? What stands out to you?
What questions do you have about your role as a MATCH professional?

10. Learning
Time allotted for this section: 50 min

11. Communication
Communication is the “collaborative and ongoing message exchange between individuals, or an individual and a group of individuals, with the goal of understanding each other.”
- National Communication Association
Read quote

12. An Excellent Communicator
Think about someone you consider an excellent communicator.
What characteristics make it easy to talk with that person?
What makes communication a pleasant experience?
In a large group format, ask participants to think about someone they know who is an excellent communicator. Next, ask what characteristics make it easy to talk with that person. What makes communication a pleasant experience. Capture and reflect on what participants share. Some responses may include:
Confident
Passionate
Warm
Connected
Clear, articulate
Humorous
Knows how to make a point
Has positive body language and eye contact

13. Communication Two-way process Send a message verbally or nonverbally
Listener receives the message, interprets it and gives feedback
You listen and interpret the response
The process repeats throughout the conversation
Sending and receiving of messages = foundation of communication
Share the points on the slide

14. Reasons People Communicate
Researchers Robert Stillman and Ellin Siegel-Causey (1989), state that people communicate for different reasons:
To affect another person’s behavior
To offer information
To convey thoughts or feelings
Purely for the reason of engaging in an interaction with someone (social reason)
Share the points on the slide. If time allows, ask participants what this means for their work.

15. Methods of Communication
Communication is the sending and receiving of messages and we all send messages in a variety of ways every day.
Oral communication: most common, spoken word
Nonverbal communication: it’s not just what we say, but how we say it (body language, tone, volume, style, touch, distance and eye contact)
Written communication: notes, newsletters, memos, bulletin boards, handbooks
Technology: electronic newsletters, blogs, program websites, text messages, telephone calling trees
Share the points on the slide.

16. Buying a New Car Divide into groups of three
Within your small group, assign a letter to each member (A, B or C)
A = customer
B = car salesperson
C – car salesperson
Help your customer buy a car!
Divide the larger group into smaller groups of 3. Each person will be assigned a letter - A, B or C.
Ask all A’s to leave the room for a moment.
Prepare B’s and C’s for their role.
B = car salesperson, trying to get A to buy a car, match the mood of A, mirror A’s body language, repeat what A says when possible, etc.
C = car salesperson, trying to get A to buy a car, do not match the mood, just go through the motions.
Bring A’s back into the room. Ask small groups to engage and let the two salespeople try and help A buy a car.

17. Reflection
What did you notice about how different people communicated?
Who was easier to talk to? Who would you buy a car from?
How does this connect to your work as a MATCH professional?

18. Styles of Communication
Theories of Carl Jung
Each individual falls along a continuum on four preferences:
Thinking
Feeling
Sensing
Intuition
These preferences are then influenced by an individual’s dominant attitude:
Introversion
Extroversion
It can be exciting to think about your communication style and that of your clients. You can learn a great deal about how to best interact with one another. While there are a variety of tools out there to help you, we are going to focus on Carl Jung’s theory which is represented in the Myers-Briggs personality type indicators. Carl Jung’s theory suggested that each individual falls along a continuum on four preferences (See Handout, Styles of Communication). Each one of these preferences are then influenced by an individual’s dominant attitude.
What do these preferences mean? They are simple ways individuals tend to build their energy, gather information, or make decisions. Next we’ll consider each of the preference pairs and how they might affect your communication with others (See Handout, Styles of Communication)

19. Communication and Collaborative Professional Relationships
The effectiveness of your communication can either make or break a relationship
Open and respectful communication is the best way to achieve positive relationships
Sharing confidential information with others inappropriately will derail relationships
Share the points on the slide

20. Exploring
Time allotted for this section: 30 min

21. Your Communication Style
Communication is a vital skill in your role as a MATCH professional
Take a few minutes to think about your own communication style and what it means for your work.
The following slides offer reflection questions. You may want to provide participants with blank paper for writing responses.

22. Respond to These Questions:
What communication style do you most relate to?
What experiences have helped you understand your communication style?
Based on what you read about communication styles, where do you think you fall on each dimension of communication?
Introvert
Extrovert
Thinker
Feeler
Sensor
Intuitor

23. Respond to These Questions (con’t)
Think about a client that you have had a difficult time communicating with. How do you think that person’s responses or communication would differ from your own?
Offer opportunity for people to share in small groups or as a larger group.

24. Applying and Planning
Time allotted for this section: 35 minutes

25. Action Planning
Choose one knowledge area from the Self- Assessment that you would like to focus on
Choose one of the standards, resources, or competencies from this knowledge area that you would like to focus on
Use the action planning form to write a goal and action steps to meet that goal
Facilitator Note: Encourage each participant to set a small, measurable goal that can be achieved within the next few weeks.

26. Reflection Share one thing from today that stands out to you
Share your goal
Time allotted for this section: 10 minutes
Depending on the size of the group, you may wish to reflect and share with partners, small groups, or whole group.

27. “Seek first to understand and then to be understood”. - Stephen Covey
Date, time and location of next module: