Skill Application Number 2

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Chapter 4

Skill Application Number 2

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Skill Application Number 2

Skill Application 2 Chapter 4

2. Use of supportive communication ensures that a message either positive or negative is passed on well and the relationship between the two people involved is preserved and supported. Supportive communication is aimed at preserving a positive relationship between two people while at the same time resolving a problem. I take it upon me to teach my friend Jane on the concepts of supportive communication and listening. The first thing is to let her understand that supportive communication is descriptive and not evaluative. This means that when she asks me something about her for instance, I should not give a judging answer that would appear offensive. Therefore, I should not evaluate her. What is required is an answer with a description of my observation. The answer should provide my reaction to the question and finally I should give an acceptable answer while avoiding criticism.

The next thing I teach Jane is that supportive communication and listening is supposed to be validating and not invalidating. I explain to her if any communication is validated, it makes the people involved feel understood, valued and accepted. Invalidated communication produces doubts in identity and worthiness in the persons involved. I have to enlighten her that supportive communication is problem-oriented and not person-oriented. Good communication that is problem oriented focuses on problems and finding solution for the problems. It does not focus on the personal characteristics of the people involved. Personal-oriented communication is discouraged because it focuses on the personal behaviors of the people that are unlikely to change. I encourage my friend to center always on problem-oriented communication since it deals mostly with events and behaviors.

2. Jane should understand that supportive communication is specific and not global. I should explain to her that supportive communication is more helpful if it is particular and the people involved can identify with it. It is my duty to warn her of global communication, which is too general and always leads to defensiveness. Lastly, I teach her that supportive communication requires supportive listening and not one-way message delivery. She should understand that it is important to listen and respond with effect to a person’s message. I explain to her that excellent listeners are known to be good communicators. Success in teaching my friend on the concepts of supportive communication will be determined if she changes her approach to how she communicates with people henceforth.
3. I expect my friend Jane to gain from understanding fully the concepts of good and supportive communication and listening. I expect her to learn these principles so that she is left in a place to communicate supportively in future. She should be able to learn that supportive communication is all about listening to the communication partner and never about just talking and not giving the other person a chance to give their views. I expect her to gain from learning that supportive communication is about validating and not invalidating , descriptive and not evaluative, problem oriented and not personal-oriented, specific and not global.
4. Success from the supportive communication and listening skill will be evaluated if Jane changes the manner that she previously used to communicate. Her perception of communication with other people needs to have changed for the good. She should be in a position to maintain a communication process without making the other person or persons feel inferior or less important. A good relationship should be maintained when she is communicating with other people. She should not have conflicts while conversing with other people.

She should be in a position to differentiate between descriptive and evaluative. She should not judge who is right or wrong, rather she should give a suggestion of an alternative, which should be acceptable between both parties. Success should also be noted in the way she depicts if something is problem oriented and not personal oriented. She should be capable of helping solve the problems that arise, instead of being focused on the personal characters of the person involved in the problem. The communication process she is involved in should be connected to acceptable principles and prospects.

Success in Jane’s communication trend will be successful is she practices validating instead of invalidating those she is communication with. By validating the communication partners, she will be giving them the opportunity to feel the acceptance and recognition as equal facilitators of the process. Jane should know that nobody likes to feel intimidated so she should make the people she is communicating with feel as special and comfortable as possible. She should avoid any invalidation since this might lead to misinformation caused by the negative feelings experienced by the invalidated communicator.

Jane should now be in apposition that indicates her communication is specific and not global. This should be portrayed is she is able to be specific on certain issues while communicating with people. She should be able to point out some of the issues that might be disadvantageous to the person. Avoiding them and generalizing will never be beneficial so it is important to be specific for a communication to be supportive. Lastly, her success will be determined if she is able to give time to the other person she is communication with. This is when she silently listens without interruptions in order to get fully what the other party is saying. Her failure previously was that she was the one who was always talking and this is a downfall for supportive communication. She should therefore be able to listen and then give her opinion.