FACILITATION

What’s great way to show people you’re listening and facilitate conversation? Show them you care about what they’re saying. Show your appreciation. It’s very simple to make someone feel like you appreciate what they’re saying. Here’s some quick tips:

1) Use your body. Start with your eyes by maintaining eye contact when someone is speaking to you. Lean in when they speak to show interest. Nod and smile to show you’re interested in what’s being said.
2) Relax. If you’re at ease, you’ll put the person delivering information to you at ease, and this will make them want to communicate with you.
3) Be mindful. Do you have any nervous tics? Be aware of any gestures that might be off-putting, like fidgeting, fussing with your hair, adjusting your tie, clearing your throat. Be still except when you have an opportunity to acknowledge something the speaker is saying.
4) Approach. Sometimes a person who needs to give a message may seem uptight or a little squirrely to bring it to you. Reach out when you can.
5) Ask. The best way to show you’re interested in what someone has to say is to ask questions to keep the conversation going. (If you’re looking to end a conversation, it probably goes without saying that you should not ask any new questions or any open-ended questions.)

Get more exciting communication tips in Your Self-Sabotage Survival Guide by Karen Berg. Read more here: tinyurl.com/y786t4ax