Are you on my wavelength?
Featured in the Listening Skills training manual
By Jessica Madge
Category: Communication Skills
Credit price: 3 download credits (Single user)
When dealing with people who are in an emotional state, it is not generally helpful to match their non-verbal behaviour. If a colleague is in tears, it is not normally a good idea to weep along with them. If a customer is angry, it is certainly not helpful to match their angry posture and gestures. However, keeping completely calm and detached might also be unhelpful. If a person is very agitated then their energy levels are very high. If the professional dealing with them is too calm and relaxed, the talker is likely to feel misunderstood. A matching of energy levels helps to build rapport and move things to a resolution more quickly. The more effectively emotional situations can be dealt with, the more time is saved, the better the image that we project to customers and staff, and the more likely it is that we will win their long-term loyalty.
This training activity begins with the participants working in pairs, using a prepared role-play, to illustrate the disadvantage of remaining very calm when faced with an angry customer. This is followed by a trainer-led section of work on how to adjust energy levels. Finally, participants again work in pairs to practise raising energy levels when dealing with an agitated person.
Who is it for: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to introduce participants to the skill of building rapport by matching energy levels.
- Themes:
- Advanced listening skills,
- Dealing with complaints and aggression,
- Fault diagnosis,
- Management and supervision,
- Interviewing,
- Appraisals,
- Absence,
- Performance management,
- Client handling,
- Selling,
- Negotiating,
- Influencing,
- Assertiveness,
- Emotional Intelligence,
- Counselling,
- Mediation,
- Meetings,
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 20 |
| Typical Duration: | 02:15:00 |
| No of Pages: | 17 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Additional resources: Clipboards for participants (optional), A tape recording of a very young baby crying (optional).
Purpose: This is an advanced skill which is very useful when dealing with people who are in an emotional state. This training activity, which is intended for use by trainers, would be best with participants who have already acquired skills such as questioning, reflecting feelings, and building rapport. It could be used as part of an ongoing development programme, or as part of a course on topics such as customer complaints, counselling, negotiating, influencing, interviewing and dealing with conflict or aggression. It could also be applied to dealing with patients and other public service clients. Like ‘Dancing in the dark’, it is of particular value to those who work on the telephone and cannot use posture and gesture to build rapport.
Download the training activity, Are you on my wavelength? as featured in the Fenman training manual; Listening Skills