Workshop teaches methods for effective communication

Photo By Cpl. Jovane Holland | Pamela Smith (left), a Marine spouse, participates in an interactive activity with Mary Henson, the Lifestyles, Insight, Networking, and Skills trainer at the Marine Corps Family Team Building, during the “I Know Just What You Mean!” workshop at the Marine Corps Family Team Building Mainside, May 1. The workshop, hosted quarterly, served to build listening skills and foster authentic communication.  

CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES

05.01.2012

Story by Cpl. Jovane Holland 

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Service members, military spouses and Department of Defense civilians attended the “I Know Just What You Mean!” workshop at the Marine Corps Family Team Building on Mainside, May 1.

The purpose of the new workshop, created by best-selling author Frank Covey, is to help build listening skills and foster authentic communication among each other, said Miguel Juarez, a trainer with Marine & Family Programs and instructor for the workshop.

“Most people don’t listen with the intent to understand- they listen with the intent to reply,” said Juarez. “My hope for every person taking this course is that they learn more about listening and what they can do to become more effective communicators.”

The workshop encouraged participants to acknowledge their individual listening styles by featuring group discussions and interactive activities.

A video presenting several different scenarios with inappropriate listening skills served as a visual of the miscommunication that can occur when one or both parties are projecting their thoughts and views on one another instead of genuinely listening and understanding the intended point of view.

“To communicate effectively, we must see things from the other person’s point of view, without trying to tell them what we think they mean or judging them,” said Juarez. “Always seeking first to understand is one of the primary lessons of heartfelt listening and effective communication.”

For Linda Ragland, the family readiness officer for Marine Wing Support Squadron 473, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, the course initiated a different way of thinking and processing information.

“This isn’t my first time attending the course, but I learned a great deal from what the instructor had to say about the different types of listening and why it’s so important to focus on being a good listener,” said Ragland. “This class certainly makes the case for why it’s so important to be an effective communicator and how to reach that goal.”

The “I Know Just What You Mean!” workshop is offered quarterly; however, service members can request the workshop be presented to their respective units at any time.

For more information on workshops and additional services available at the Marine Corps Family Team Building, contact [phone].

• Date Taken: 05.01.2012
• Date Posted: 05.04.2012 12:42
• Story ID: 87892
• Location: CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US