Modules 17 & 18

Listening

The form of communication we practice most often is listening. Listening is crucial so you should polish your listening skills on the job and as well in your personal life. Good listeners consciously follow four practices. Good listeners pay attention because it requires energy. They focus on the speakers in a generous way. Listening errors happen when the listener is not paying enough attention.Good listeners also focus on the other speaker in a generous way. Some people listen looking for flaws or moments when they can attack the other speaker. In contrast good speakers listen in a generous way and realize that although the other speaker may not be as polished they still have something to say. They realize that they can learn something even from someone they may not like. They also avoid making assumptions and ask questions because it can provide useful information they may be seeking. They also listen for feelings and facts consciously. Active Listening is feeding back the literal meaning, the emotional content, or both. You can show someone you are listening by acknowledging their comments in words, nonverbal symbols, and actions.

Working and Writing in Teams

This module focuses on teamwork and why it is essential to an organization succeeding.  The kind of messages groups should attend to ate messages that are appropriate at different points in the groups development. These messages fall into three categories which are informal, procedural, and interpersonal. The roles people play in groups can be positive and negative. Being a leader in the group does not mean that you do all the work yourself. Most groups keep the balance with three kinds of leaders. Informal leaders, interpersonal leaders, and procedural leaders. When handling conflict you should get the real issues and repair bad feelings.You can create the best co-authored documents by talking about your purposes and audiences and discuss drafts and revisions as a group.