What’s social work lively listening?
Lively listening is a communication approach utilized in social work to assist the individual being listened to really feel understood and supported.
Social work lively listening includes the listener paying shut consideration to the speaker, ensuring to not interrupt, and reflecting again on what they’ve heard.
This helps the speaker really feel heard and validated, and it will probably additionally assist them make clear their ideas and emotions.
What’s lively listening in social work?
Lively listening is an important social work talent that’s required to make sure social staff are in a position to have interaction and establish the wants of shoppers or service customers successfully.
Nevertheless, this system ought to be employed with warning as a result of there are occasions when lively listening could lead to unfavourable penalties for somebody who has skilled trauma or disclosed delicate data throughout battle or heated discussions.
Lively listeners want solely concern themselves with offering applicable suggestions that reveals understanding with out judgment by contemplating how these circumstances differ from different types of conversations the place responding appropriately is likely to be extra vital.
Why is listening vital in social work?
People who find themselves socially deprived and underprivileged typically lack a way of belonging.
Social staff can use lively listening to deal with this drawback by exhibiting their shoppers that they care about what they need to say.
Lively listening as a communication approach might help the consumer really feel a way of belonging. It could possibly additionally assist the social employee empathise with the shoppers/service consumer’s scenario.
Given all of this data, there have to be many advantages for utilizing lively listening as a instrument in social work?
How are you going to use lively listening in your individual life to enhance communication with others?
- Concentrate.
- Present that you just’re listening.
- Present suggestions.
- Defer judgment.
- Reply appropriately.
Advantages of utilizing lively listening abilities in social work
With lively listening as a communication approach, it will probably assist social staff construct higher relationships with their shoppers.
It permits the consumer to really feel heard and understood, which might help them make clear their ideas and emotions.
It could possibly additionally assist the social employee higher perceive the consumer’s scenario and desires.
As well as, lively listening can enhance communication between the social employee and consumer, and it will probably additionally assist the consumer really feel extra linked to the social work neighborhood in addition to their very own instant neighborhood.
1. Take note of assist enhance communication.
Paying consideration is without doubt one of the most vital issues you are able to do to enhance communication.
If you’re paying consideration, you’re exhibiting that you just’re fascinated by what the opposite individual has to say.
You’re additionally extra more likely to keep in mind what they are saying, and also you’ll be higher in a position to reply appropriately.
There are some things you are able to do to enhance your skill to concentrate:
a. Make eye contact.
b. Put away distractions.
c. Keep targeted
d. Repeat again what you’ve heard.
e. Ask questions.
a. Make eye contact.
Making eye contact is without doubt one of the easiest methods to indicate that you just’re paying consideration.
It lets the opposite individual know that you just’re engaged within the dialog and that you just’re fascinated by what they’re saying.
b. Put away distractions.
Placing away distractions when somebody is speaking is crucial. It’s because, it’s vital to deal with them and what they’re saying.
This implies placing away any distractions and focusing your entire power on the dialog.
It may be useful to make eye contact and to nod to indicate that you just’re listening.
You might also wish to take notes that will help you keep in mind what was stated.
c. Keep targeted
Staying focussed when speaking with shoppers or service customers might help enhance communication.
Nevertheless, it may be troublesome to remain focussed when the individual is speaking, particularly in the event that they’re speaking about one thing that’s not attention-grabbing to you.
However, it’s vital to make an effort to deal with what they’re saying and to not interrupt them. You might also wish to ask questions with a purpose to higher perceive what the consumer or service consumer is making an attempt to speak to you.
What are some suggestions for staying focussed when the individual is speaking?
i. Make an effort to deal with what they’re saying and to not interrupt them.
ii. Ask questions with a purpose to higher perceive what they’re saying.
d. Repeat again what you’ve heard.
Repeating again what you’ve heard might help enhance communication.
If you repeat again what you’ve heard, it reveals the speaker that you just’re actively listening and that you just care about what they need to say.
It additionally offers you an opportunity to make clear something that you could be not have understood. You may normally do that by paraphrasing what the individual has stated in your individual phrases.
e. Ask related questions when speaking
If you’re speaking with somebody, it’s vital to ask related questions with a purpose to higher perceive what they’re saying.
This additionally reveals that you just’re fascinated by what they need to say. Nevertheless, it is best to keep away from asking too many questions without delay, as this may be overwhelming for the speaker.
2.0 Present that you just’re listening
Listening is extra than simply retaining your mouth shut and your ears open.
If you wish to present that you just’re paying consideration, it’s vital to let the opposite individual know by giving nonverbal cues. So, how will you give nonverbal cues?
a. Nod sometimes.
b. Smile, giggle, and nod when applicable.
c. Frown or furrow your forehead if one thing seems uncommon.
3.0 Present suggestions
Offering suggestions is a crucial a part of lively listening, as a result of it lets the speaker know that you just’re paying consideration and care about what they need to say.
It could possibly additionally assist maintain the dialog shifting ahead. There are a number of methods to offer suggestions whereas listening:
a. Paraphrasing what you hear.
b. Minimal encouragers, similar to ‘yeah,’ ‘uh-huh,’ and ‘proper.’
c. Reflection of feeling.
Provide reflection of emotions when applicable. This reveals that you just’re listening and that you just care about what the speaker or consumer is saying. It could possibly additionally assist to make clear emotions, as a result of generally folks don’t understand how they really feel till they hear themselves.
4.0 Summarising
Summarising is a extra superior type of lively listening that may aid you affirm your understanding of what the opposite individual is saying, and it will probably additionally allow them to know that they’ve been heard.
It’s typically useful to repeat again data or to ask for clarification when summarising.
5.0 Replicate by yourself emotions
There are occasions when it’s applicable to ask the individual you’re speaking with about their emotions.
Nevertheless, it’s vital to not focus by yourself feelings throughout lively listening, as a result of that may make it harder for the opposite individual to talk overtly about their emotions.
If you mirror emotions again to somebody, do not forget that this typically requires that you just actively take heed to what they need to say earlier than reflecting their feelings again.
In some instances, it’s possible you’ll have to ask questions with a purpose to get the data you’ll want to mirror emotions precisely.
6.0 Responding appropriately is vital
Responding appropriately is a crucial a part of lively listening, as a result of it reveals that you just care about what somebody has stated and the way they really feel.
Nevertheless, in some instances, it’s vital to watch out together with your response with a purpose to keep away from making a private interpretation or providing a perspective that isn’t related.
In these instances, it could be greatest to indicate that you just’re listening with out including the rest:
a. When somebody is speaking about their emotions.
b. When somebody is being argumentative.
7.0 Defer judgement
There are occasions when it’s applicable to supply your opinion or perspective, however there are additionally conditions the place it is likely to be higher to not.
In instances the place judgement might lead to unfavourable penalties for the opposite individual, it’s greatest to keep away from providing any suggestions so you may proceed listening attentively:
a. When somebody has skilled trauma.
b. When somebody is disclosing data.
c. Throughout battle or heated discussions.
d. With youngsters and adolescents.
What are the 7 abilities for lively listening?
- Keep away from asking too many questions without delay.
- Ensure you’re not distracted by the rest happening round you.
- Preserve eye contact
- Use open ended questions
- Use the TED (Inform me, Clarify and Describe) approach
- Paraphrase
- Summarise
What’s the objective of lively listening?
The objective of lively listening is to assist the speaker really feel heard and understood.
It could possibly additionally present the speaker with data, assist, and suggestions.
Lively listening can even assist the listener to raised perceive the speaker’s perspective.
What are the forms of lively listening?
- Paraphrasing
- Reflecting again
- Asking related questions
- Summarising
- Restating the details
How are you going to present that you just’re actively listening?
There are a number of methods to indicate that you just’re actively listening. The talents of lively listening embrace;
- Making eye contact
- Nodding
- Taking notes
- Utilizing encouraging and constructive statements.
- Utilizing brief easy sentences
Conclusion:
Communication abilities in social work is crucial when supporting shoppers or servicer customers.
Lively listening is vital to good communication. The important thing to lively listening is listening with out judgement and providing applicable suggestions when wanted.
As well as, persistence in social work additionally helps with lively listening.
Doing so might help you make an actual distinction in somebody’s life, and it will probably additionally present the speaker with the satisfaction of understanding that they’ve been heard and understood.
