Personal Skills for Interviewing, Listening and Giving Feedback Module S1

1. Quality and Outcomes Framework Assessor Training Personal Skills for Interviewing, Listening and Giving Feedback Module S1

2. Aims of the Module • To be able to: • Listen well • Ask questions effectively • Give feedback • Handle difficult situations

3. Two Key Points It is a privilege to visit a contractor – it is their domain and their organisation and you are a guest. You will never know as much about what goes on as the contractor’s team does.

4. Active Listening • Words – listen to particular emphasis and repetition • Facial expression – does it fit with the words? • Body movement – relaxed or jumpy? • Beware of your own behaviour; it may encourage people or shut them up

5. Effective questioning • Open – “How is it going?” • Probing – “What do you mean by that?” • Reflective – “You say ‘difficult’?” • Closed – “ Have you got a complaints protocol?” • Don’t ask cued questions – “You’ve no problem with that, have you?” • Use triangulation – put the same question to more than one person separately

6. Effective feedback • Start with what you regard as the contractor’s strengths (they all have them!) • List the developments needed • Be specific, so that people understand what you mean and why you are saying it – “The reason you are doing this well is because…”

7. Giving difficult feedback • Begin positively and establish empathy • Have the facts/evidence available • Point out any resistance you encounter • Review detail of specific items • Keep the responsibility with the contractor • Allow ‘time out’ if needed

8. You will have succeeded if: • The contractor feels motivated at the end • You have established good relationships • Even if the contractor does not like the results, they compliment you on the way you have carried out the visit