Communicating with clients

CommunicationMostly we don’t stop to think about how we

communicate with others.We simply assume that we just know how to

do itHowever we don’t always get the message

acrossCommunication is a complex process with the

potential for things to go wrong (miscommunication)

Communication skills are so important within the Community Services Industry

We need to be able to relate to our clients, colleagues and other community agencies in the best possible way

Communicating with clients, their families, colleagues and other organisation can be done by;

Face to faceOver the phoneIndividually or within a group settingAt a meeting or conferenceBy writing (e-mails, letters, memos, reports etc)

Communication

Communication can be verbal and non-verbal

Usually we refer to verbal communication as relating to the words that are said

Non-verbal communication includes all the messages that are sent not using words;

What are some forms of non-verbal communication?

Types of Communication

Messages usually contain both verbal and non-verbal components

The verbal part conveys the content or information

The non-verbal part tells the receiver what the content means to the person talking

In situations where there is a mismatch between the verbal and non-verbal, the receiver is more likely to focus on the non-verbal signals they are receiving

This is because body language is more likely to give us the clues about what the message means

Communication