1. Effective Communication Skills

2. I Statements Used to express thoughts and feelings without blame or judgment.  State the feeling and the problem behavior. “I feel_____when______.”  State the effect the behavior has on you or others. “Because _____________.”  State what you want or need. “I want/need_________.” Example: “I feel annoyed when you don’t call me back because I don’t know if you got my message. I need you to call me back within a day.”

3. Active Listening Focusing attention on the speaker and showing that you understand and care about his or her message. Skills:  Make eye contact  Don’t judge  Paraphrase or summarize  It sounds like...  In other words...  Clarify the message  Let me see if I understand...  Encourage the speaker to continue  Nod head  “Uh huh” “Go on” Tell me more”

4. Body Language Reinforces or contradicts a person’s verbal message, depending on how it is used.  Match verbal and nonverbal messages.  Make eye contact.  Have good posture.  Use appropriate gestures.  Be aware of facial expressions.

5. Cooperation and Compromise Cooperation involves two or more people working towards a common goal. One person might help another to get what he or she wants and vice versa.. Compromise involves each person being willing to give something up in order to reach an agreement

6. Constructive Feedback Information given to a person to help them learn from their mistakes.  Positive  Praise, a compliment  Used to show appreciation for a behavior  Negative  Criticism  Used to tell that behavior is unappreciated or irritating

7. Constructive Feedback (cont.) ① State and own the feeling (positive or negative). “I really appreciate...” or “I really dislike... “ ② State the specific behavior. “when you listen to me” or “when you ignore me”. ***Negative feedback is effective when it is given only when required and when the listener is prepared to hear it.