1.
Basic Communication Skills
Nearly every aspect of planning requires that a planner come in
contact with the public -- through group meetings and review sessions,
as well as one-on-one office appointments, writing, and telephone
conversations. Though most of these contacts are positive
interactions, each has the potential to become adversarial if handled
inappropriately. While interpersonal communication skills are
rarely part of professional curricula, they are so fundamental to
public participation in planning that we begin the description of
participation tools with some communication "tricks of the
trade".
Nearly every aspect of planning requires that a
planner come in contact with the public – through group meetings and
review sessions, as well as one-on-one office appointments, writing, and
telephone conversations. Though
most of these contacts are positive interactions, each has the potential
to become adversarial if handled inappropriately. While interpersonal communication skills are rarely part of
professional curricula, they are so fundamental to public participation
in planning that we begin the description of participation tools with
some communication “tricks of the trade.”
One-on-one
(interpersonal) skills
Success in most professions, including planning, depends on effective
one-on-one interaction. While there is an entire industry dedicated to
interpersonal communication (e.g., Dale Carnegie's "How to Win
Friends and Influence People"), here we simply outline some fairly
obvious objectives. The challenge is to apply these skills, especially
when confronted with anxious, impatient, or confrontational clients.
|
Be responsive |
The first order of business is to be
available, accessible, and responsive.
While this is often difficult with busy schedules, it is
important to serve the client: make time in your schedule to be
available, respond to phone calls, e-mails, and other inquiries in
a timely manner, develop back-up
mechanisms for responding when you are unavailable. |
|
Be engaging
|
“Be alive!” “Look the client squarely in the eyes!” “Be an active listener.” Connecting
with the client often takes some work, and it is important to make
the effort to focus attention on the request or issues at hand.
Paraphrasing and other methods are helpful to assure clients that
you hear and are interested in what they say. Most often this
approach leads to the most effective and efficient outcome. |
|
Be pleasant |
Work should be fun! A smile and some humor go a long way toward
breaking the ice, easing anxiety, defusing conflict, and thereby
increasingly the channels of communication. |
|
Be patient |
“Treat impatient people with patience” is
one of the most difficult skills in interpersonal communication,
but one of the most important for public officials.
Often times it is important to give clients the opportunity
to vent before trying to get to the root of the problem and find
solutions. |
|
Be clear |
Clarity of communication is critical.
Active listening and paraphrasing are a critical first
step.It is also
important to leave the client with a clear idea of where your
stand, what to expect, and what next steps to take. |
|
Be positive |
It is easy to look at the “dark side” of
any situation. One of the important skills of interpersonal
communication is to look at a situation in a positive light, to
empathize with the client, and to seek solutions. |
|
Be realistic |
While it is important to be positive, it is
critical to be realistic. If there are difficult or insurmountable
problems, the client needs to know. |
|
Be a problem solver |
All of these skills amount to being a problem
solver, or one actively involved in trying to resolve a client’s
concerns. Helping
people solve their problems through responsiveness, engagement,
patience, clarity, and a positive, empathetic and realistic
approach is the best way to perform the role of public servant and
to “win friends and influence people.” |
Writing
Skills
Writing skills are critical to many aspects of
planning, since decisionmaking processes generally involve a variety of
reporting methods, and both internal and external forms of
correspondence. While writing techniques vary slightly by the type of
document produced, the following hints will generally apply:
|
Be responsive |
 |
It is important to acknowledge the receipt of an
email message, to confirm a phone conversation or to follow-up on
an office visit in a timely fashion --even if there are tasks yet
to be done. This is particularly critical if local rule or state
statute places a time limit on the response or final decision. |
|
|
Be concise |
|
Make sure the reader understands the purpose of and
the message in the correspondence right away. When possible, keep
letters and memos to a single page, and make email messages short
(since longer messages will have to be printed). |
|
Margins and font sizes can be adjusted to reduce
overall length, but remember to be kind to the eyes! |
|
|
Be systematic and orderly |
|
Use short paragraphs with bullet statements or
numbered lists if multiple points are to be made. |
|
On longer documents, use headings and subheadings to
lead the reader through the document’s structure and content.
Each section should be reasonably self-contained, with an
introductory statement and a brief summary or transition to the
next section. |
|
The larger document should begin with an overview of
the issue addressed, the purpose of the report, and its
organization; it should conclude with a summary, synthesis,
discussion, or recommendation that neatly ties up the report. This
section should connect back to the purpose of the report. |
|
|
Be professional |
|
Focus on “action” rather than “information”,
and avoid first person and passive tense in your writing. |
|
Revise, rewrite and proof-read to be certain your
message is clear, factually accurate and grammatically correct. |
|
Use humor when appropriate, especially for less
formal communications such as email. |
|
Give credit where credit is due: referencing can be
important. The author-date method is perhaps the easiest
((Randolph, 1996) with an alphabetical list of “References
Cited” at the end of the report), but other referencing
conventions are acceptable; quotations should be referenced to a
source’s page number (Randolph, 1996, p.14). |
|
|
Be creative |
|
Non-text graphics or tables can help break up the
text; tables summarizing main points help organize the report,
force you to clarify the points, and help the reader focus on the
main points at a glance. |
|
|
Be careful! |
|
Make use of cc, bcc, “forward” and other means
for increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of correspondence,
but be certain you know who will receive the message. Also be mindful of the fact that these are “official”
documents that can be forwarded or copied for broader viewing
(under the Freedom of Information Act ). |
|
Presentation Skills
Making presentations to small or large groups is
another essential task for planners (and really for any profession).
Like writing skills, presentation skills are honed through
practice. Still, there are some “tricks of the trade”
that enhance the quality and effectiveness of presentations.
Facilitation
Skills
Running and facilitating group meetings is an essential communication skill,
and one that often employs a number of participation skills and tools, and
especially an understanding group dynamics (see also facilitating (capacity
building), public meetings, workshops, focus groups, stakeholder collaboration).
[need links to each of these tools]
A facilitator works with a group and provides procedural help in moving
toward consensus. The facilitator is neutral to the issues or topics under
discussion and operates with the consent of the participants. It is helpful if
the facilitator is also intimately familiar with the subject matter of the
discussion.
Since facilitated meetings typically involve representatives from a wide
variety of community groups or other stakeholders, these participants are likely
to hold different views on the issues under consideration. The facilitator
should encourage all participants to share their viewpoints and participate in
the discussion. Hypothetical questions sometimes help to get discussion moving.
The facilitator elicits both facts and opinions and helps the group distinguish
between them.
Some hints for better facilitation:
1. Watch group vibes: If people seem bored or inattentive, you may have to
speed up the pace of the meeting. If people seem tense because of unvoiced
disagreements, you may have to bring concerns out into the open.
2. Ask open
ended questions: For instance, "We seem to be having trouble resolving the
matter. What do you think we should do?"
3. Summarize what others say: For
instance, you might say, "It seems we agree that . .. "
4. Make sure
everyone gets a chance to speak: One way of ensuring quiet people get a chance
to speak is to initiate a round. In a round you move around the table with
everyone getting a few minutes to present their views.
5. Inject humor: There a
few better ways of overcoming cranky, niggling or petty behavior.
6. Learn to
deal with difficult behavior: ·
|
Flare-ups: When two members get into a heated
discussion summarize
the points made by each, then turn the discussion back to
the group. · |
|
Grand standing: Interrupt the one-man show with a statement that
gives
him credit for his contribution, but ask him to reserve his other points
for
later. Alternatively, interrupt with, "You have brought up a great many
points. Would anyone like to take up one of these points?" · |
|
Broken
recording: When someone keeps repeating the same point,
assure them their point
has been heard. If necessary ask the group if
they want to allow the person to
finish making their point. · |
|
Interrupting: Step in immediately with, "Hold
on, let X finish what they
have to say." If necessary, ask the person who
tends to interrupt to act
as the recorder for the meeting.· |
|
Continual
criticizing: Legitimize negative feelings on difficult issues.
You might say,
"Yes, it will be tough to reduce traffic congestion on
Marguerite, but
there are successful models we can look at." If necessary,
ask the critical
person to take on an achievable task. |
7. Suggest options when time runs out:
Identify areas of partial consensus, suggest tabling the question, or create a
small subcommittee to deal with the matter at a time of their choosing.
8.
Consider a round at the end of the meeting: Going quickly around the whole group
gives people a chance to bring up matters not on the agenda. You can also use a
round to evaluate the meeting.
Facilitation
and Facilitators
1. A facilitative individual is one who is easy to work with, a team player,
a person aware of individual and group dynamics. He or she is skilled in
communication, collaborative problem solving, consensus building, and conflict
resolution.
2. A facilitator is an individual who enables groups ad organizations to work
more effectively and to collaborate. He or she is a "content neutral"
party who by not taking sides during the meeting, can advocate for fair, open,
and inclusive discussions to accomplish the group's work.
3. A facilitative leader is one who is aware of group and organizational
dynamics; one who creates organization-wide involvement processes which enable
members of the organization to more fully utilize their potential to help the
organization articulate and achieve its vision and goals. There is a difference
between facilitating and leading and facilitative leaders often use facilitators
in their organizations.
4. A facilitative group (team, task force, committee) is one in which
facilitative mindsets and behaviors are widely distributed among the members.
Such a group is minimally dysfunctional, is easy to join, and works well
together and with other groups.
Source: Michael Doyle, in S. Kaner, Facilitator’s Guide to
Participatory Decision-Making, 1996.
References/Links
Community Toolbox:
Bringing Solutions to Light
University of Kansas Work Group on Health Promotion and
Community Development in Lawrence, KS, and AHEC/Community
Partners in Amherst, MA
Facilitating
the problem solving process
Developing
Facilitation Skills
Generating
and Choosing Solutions
Community
Works Toolbox: Electronic Support System for Community Problem
Solvers
Dobson, C., The
Citizen’s Handbook: Guide to Building Community in Vancouver,
Vancouver Citizens Committee
Meetings:
Facilitating:
Kaner, S., Facilitator’s Guide to
Participatory Decision-Making, Gabriola Island, BC: New Society
Publishers, 1996.
Knack, R., Brainstorming by Byte, Planning, 1994.
Leach, J., Seven Steps to Better Writing, Planning,
1993.
McElroy, J., Words That Work, PAS Memo, 1988.
Moore, T., A Practical Guide for Managing
Planning Projects, Planning,
1991.
Outreach
and Involvement Handbook,
Portland, Oregon, Office of Neighborhood
Involvement
City of Portland, OR, July 1998
|
