The Power of Communication
A friend of mine was recently at an urgent care office trying to get some information from the front desk. The receptionist didn’t have the answer so she got her boss who was obviously displeased at having her work interrupted. Her face was disinterested. Her answers were short. Her whole attitude said, “Go away, you’re bothering me.”
So my friend left. She won’t be going back to that urgent care.
Communication is a powerful thing. For a business like At Home Preferred, where there is constant communication within on our team, with our clients and their loved ones, and between caregiver and client, good communications are absolutely critical. We are constantly communicating with our caregivers to make sure they know exactly what each client needs and when. We’re also in constant communications with families to ensure their loved one is receiving the appropriate care and that they feel connected and satisfied with their caregivers. At the end of the day, communications is what keeps us in business!
Because communication is so powerful, we’d offer these tips to help you become a better communicator:
One: Put down your device. We’ve all become reliant on our smartphones that texting, emailing and Facebooking take precedence over speaking real words. Not only should we stop using texting, emailing, etc. for every communication, we need to put our phones away. In a purse, a pocket or desk drawer. Concentrating on the device in your hand instead of the person you’re talking to is off putting.
Two: Look people in the eye. Have you ever been talking with someone and they never look you in the face? They seem to be looking everywhere but at you so it seems like they never hear a word you said. When you look someone in the eye, it shows you’re interested and truly listening. This makes the other person more comfortable and have positive feelings about you.
Three: Listen. Sometimes conversations are more like competitions with people talking over each other instead of listening. This is not a conversation! And when you’re an in-home caregiver, you can miss important information if all you do is talk. So take a breath, look the other person in the eye and listen. You’ll learn a lot and be more appreciated!
Four: Think before you talk. Have you ever said something offensive and wondered how in the world that word “toad” popped out of your mouth? All of us have guilty of such slips. Thinking before you talk is a good practice in both work and personal situations as you avoid saying things that may embarrass, offend or spread misinformation.
Five: Attitude is everything. Here’s a little experiment. Smile and say the word “hello.” Now frown and say the word “hello.” It comes off very differently, right? We all want to be treated with respect and kindness. If you find yourself in a stressful situation or disagreement, remember to put a smile in your attitude. It’s amazing how you can avoid escalating a disagreement by controlling your attitude.
At Home Preferred is always hiring people who value communications. Would you like to join our team?
