Session 3: How can effective communication enhance relationships?

Introduction

The aim of this session is to illustrate communication’s role in building working relationships based on respect and trust. You will explore a number of ideas that help you understand the one-to-one communication process which is important in developing your workplace trust and rapport.

One of the first activities is to see what you can learn from those working in a hospital. Medical staff need to work with numerous different people to support therapeutic relationships. They sometimes speak about needing to be patient-centred, just as we in sport and fitness also talk of person-, customer- or athlete-centred working. This session focuses on understanding what is meant by person-centred communication. You will discover that part of being person-centred is how well you listen to others and enhance working relationships.

By the end of this session, you should be able to:

• demonstrate an awareness of your abilities to build and sustain working relationships
• describe the three main elements of a person-centred approach in which communication is authentic, non-judgemental and empathetic
• explain how you can use the various skills of active listening to help build sound working relationships.