Staff Development &
Performance Review
Active Listening Skills for Reviewers
What is this session about?
This is this session about?
• It is about skills not process
– See SPDR Meeting PowerPoint Presentation for the meeting process
• It is about communication
• It is about target setting
What isn’t this session about?
• This session will not deal with measuring performance. Separate
training will be provided regarding how performance can be measured.
‘The Appraisal’
‘The Appraisal 2’
Skills for Reviewers
Skills for Reviewers
The Four Essential Interpersonal Skills
•
•
•
•
Listening (actively)
Questioning (appropriately)
Summarising (accurately)
Target setting (SMART-ly)
Listening Skills
Active Listening
 Active listening is a communication technique that requires the
listener to understand, interpret, and evaluate what they hear.
 The ability to listen actively can improve inter-personal relationships
by reducing conflicts, strengthening cooperation, and fostering
understanding.
 Active listening requires…
– the ears
– the mind
– the eyes
…. to function in a synergetic and holistic manner
What happens when we listen?
We ignore
– Words
– Intonation
– Body language
We pretend
– We interject and cut off
– Fill in what we think the other person is saying
We listen selectively
– Hear what we wish to hear not what is being said!
However, we need to listen with empathy!
What happens when we listen?
Remember
• We never stop giving out signals (body language)
• We often forget that we are transmitting more than just audio
messages
• We often don’t receive the message that was originally intended
(but we might receive the one that was sent!)
What happens when we listen?
Visual 55%
• 7% of meaning in the
words that are spoken.
• 38% of meaning is
paralinguistic (the way
that the words are said).
Verbal 7%
• 55% of meaning is in
facial expression
Mehrabian, A.,
Silent Messages
(1971).
Vocal 38%
Active Listening Process
Open
Questioning
Reflecting
Feelings
Attention
Giving
Active
Listening
Paraphrasing
Focussing
Summarising
How to listen?
Gerard Egan’s (2002) SOLER technique for active listening:
S: Sit SQUARELY on to the client, preferably at a 5 o’clock position to
avoid the possibility of staring.
O: Maintain an OPEN posture at all times, not crossing your arms or legs
which can appear defensive.
L: LEAN slightly in towards the client.
E: Maintain EYE CONTACT with the client without staring.
R: RELAX. This should in turn help the client to relax.
Questioning & Summarising Skills
Why do we question?
Questioning
• Obtain information
• Generate new ideas and ways of thinking
• Find out about details
• Verify existing information
• Clarify the intentions of the speaker
• Contribute to the active listening process
Questioning
What is a question?
A question is defined as ‘any statement or non-verbal act that
invites an answer’ (Hargie, 2007)
Types of Questions
• Open questions
• Closed questions
Open Questions
Open Questions
Open Question allow respondents to think, reflect and offer opinion or
express feelings:
• W
What? - focus on events
Why? - focus on meaning & motive
• H
How? - focus on the process
• Y
You
- please tell me more about you!
- a focus on the person
Types of Open Questions
Basic Open Question
Probing
You said to me X is a problem, tell me why you think this is the case?
Reflecting
So, if I understand you correctly, what you're saying is?
Summarising
Therefore, you see the biggest issues as……?
If you feel confident try……
Leading
You don’t mind doing this, do you?
Multiple
Tell me again about what happened, how you were feeling and just
exactly who was there?
Hypothetical
What might have happened if you had…..?
Open & Closed Questions
Closed Questions
Closed questions lead to a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer or a short phrase:
• H
• I
• D
• E
Have?
Is?
Did?
Do?
Every
- Have you met your agreed target?
- Is the student registered?
- Did you see the Dean?
- Do you know Professor Smith ?
- other question that leads to a +ve / -ve answer
Summarising
What is Summarising?
•
•
•
•
How to summarise
Note key points in your head
Use statements /questions to elicit
key points
Record key points at end – flip
chart
Check for agreement
Check for points that have been
missed
• Encourage others to summarise
•
A means of gaining consensus
A way to tie together the key points •
A way to focus upon conclusions •
A way to arrive at closure
•
•
Clarification
Why Clarify?
•
•
Check to ensure what has been said or heard
Check to assure mutual understanding
How to clarify
• Restate (or Reflect) “If I heard you properly, I think you said….”
• Paraphrase “So, what you are saying is…..”
SMART Objective Setting
SMART Objectives
How many objectives
should be set?
Best practice says ‘no
more than five’!
Specific
Time Bound
Relevant
Measurable
Achievable
Summary
• SDPR is about how a member of staff can have a constructive conversation
with their line manager or other colleague and talk about their work.
• It is about how an individual can reflect on their previous year’s work and
set new objectives for the coming year.
• It is about how an individual’s development can improve their performance
and the performance of their department.
• It is about the alignment of an individual’s work to the strategic aims of their
department.
• It is about the 5 C’s of communication, consensus, cooperation, common
understanding and collegiality.
Thank you
For more information contact CDSAP on:
Email:
Web:
Tel:
cdsap@aber.ac.uk
http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/sdpr
01970 622117