For each item below, share one:

a) Insight that you gained from the information contained in Professor Brechers communication videos.

b)Insight that you gained from the Li and Taylor scenario debrief videos.

c)Additional communication skill that Professor Brecher has not addressed that you use when conducting interviews. If you do not currently conduct investigations, discuss an additional communication skill you currently use that you would apply when conducting interviews.

Li states, "My impossible manager is giving me a poor evaluation, and I know it's because I made a mistake. Everybody else messes up on things, too." Lee is an expressive communicator. Let's look at how you would paraphrase what Li said. "You're upset; you're receiving a poor evaluation because you made a mistake. Other people make mistakes." Li responds, "I'm more than upset; I'm livid!" Allow an expressive employee to share their feelings fully. Don't assume that because feelings are so strongly expressed that the expressive communicator is not reasonable. Notice that when I started paraphrasing, I focused on the emotion first. When initially paraphrasing to Li, It would be helpful to recognize the emotional state and then the factual information. When Li responds, "I'm more than upset; I'm livid!" I would repeat those words by just saying, "You're livid." If, during the meeting, Li seems to become very agitated, it might be your instinct to say, "Calm down." With an expressive person, this often exacerbates the situation. Generally, an expressive person does not mind being interrupted when you want to ask questions or need the person to slow down. Similarly, if Li repeats the same thing many times, you can interrupt. Often, when a person repeats themselves, it is a signal that they do not think they are being heard. Paraphrasing is one way to demonstrate that you have heard the point. Remember, these are generalizations about the expressive style. Whether the person you are interviewing has a style different from or the same as yours, being aware of communication styles will allow you to use multiple techniques to be more effective when capturing information.

Taylor states, "I don't know what to do. I think my coworker is stealing." Taylor is a contained communicator. Let's look at how you would paraphrase what Taylor said: "You think your coworker is stealing and you're not sure what to do. It seems like you're uncomfortable talking about this." Taylor responds, "I'm not sure what to do." Notice that when I paraphrase Taylor, I started with the factual information and then the emotional state. A contained person is generally not comfortable discussing their emotional state. Don't assume that because feelings are not expressed, the contained communicator does not have them. It is important to ensure that you are not interpreting how Taylor is feeling. After I learned more about the situation, I would return back to clarifying Taylor's emotional state. When I returned, I would frame it to Taylor as a question: "I'm wondering how you're feeling about this." Using the method of asking a question is helpful for a person who does not want to discuss their emotional state. If, during the meeting, Taylor is hesitant to speak, avoid interrupting and allow Taylor to think. Wait for the person to complete what they have to say. Be sure to leave a pause of at least three seconds; three seconds is the time it takes to inhale and exhale. A contained person may not be forthcoming with information. Again, do not assume that the person does not want to tell you about the situation. Generally, we suggest starting by asking open-ended questions like "Tell me more." With a contained person, you may need to be more specific, such as "Tell me more about your coworker." While this may seem more direct, it is open ended, and it makes it easier for the person to respond. Communication styles can vary; a contained person may not be responsive to these techniques. The overall goal is to capture information, and with all communication styles, you may need to vary the techniques you use.