This document outlines a training program on communication and self-management skills for supervisors. It describes the listening skills module, which teaches techniques for active listening like using minimal encouragers, open-ended questions, mirroring statements, and empathy questions. It provides examples of each technique and instructions for partners to practice using the listening skills to discuss real problems. The goal is to help supervisors become better listeners and create an environment where employees feel heard and understood.

1. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
April 2017
kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu
413-597-3542
Manager, Training and Development
Office of Human Resources
Presented by Kevin R. Thomas
Supervisory Training Series
Listening Skills

2. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Name
• Where you work
• How long you’ve been supervising
• How long you’ve been supervising at Williams
Introductions

3. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
1) Program Overview
2) Listening Skills

4. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
1. Structure of the Program
2. Structure of Each Module
3. Ground Rules
Program Overview

5. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
Communication
& Self-Management
Supervising Individuals
Supervising Teams
Supervising at Williams
• Listening Skills
• Giving Effective Feedback
• Delegating Skills
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Hiring & Onboarding
• Leaves, Absences & Accommodations
• Performance Development
• Dealing with Performance Problems
• Developing Employees
• Building Effective Teams
• Resolving Conflict
• Professional Ethics

6. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
Structure of Each Module
Program Overview
Skills
Practice or
Case
Study
discussion
Overview:
“Least you
need to
know”
Who to call
Materials to
add to
binder
Course
web page
with all
materials
Pre-work
questions

7. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Confidentiality
• Participation
• Listening
• Judgement free zone
Ground Rules
Program Overview

8. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
1) Program Overview
2) Listening Skills

9. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
Why is listening important for
supervisors?

10. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
What behaviors indicate good
listening?

11. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
1. The Listening Container
2. Listening Behaviors
– Minimal encouragements
– Open-ended questions
– Mirroring statements
– Empathy questions
Listening Skills

12. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
1. The Listening Container
2. Listening Behaviors
– Minimal encouragements
– Open-ended questions
– Mirroring statements
– Empathy questions
Listening Skills

13. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Privacy
• Freedom from Distractions
• Time Limit
• Setting Ground Rules
The Listening Container
Listening Skils

14. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Confidentiality
• “I” statements
• No name calling or pejorative
language
• No interruptions
• Volume and gestures moderate
• Time outs
Setting Ground Rules
Listening Skills Listening Container

15. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
1. The Listening Container
2. Listening Behaviors
– Minimal encouragements
– Open-ended questions
– Mirroring statements
– Empathy questions
Listening Skills

16. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Echoing words or phrases
• Verbal cues that you are
listening “Oh?”, “Mm
hmm”, “Right.” etc.
• “Is there more about
that?”
• Silence
Minimal Encouragements
Listening Skills The Listening Stance

17. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
Minimal Encouragements– your turn
• Pair up. This will be your partner for the
whole class.
• Each person think about a real problem you
are facing that you can talk about easily with
a stranger.
• For the first round, choose who will be the
speaker and who will be the listener.
• Speakers, talk about your problem for 2
minutes. Listeners, use only minimal
encouragements.
• Switch roles.

18. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
1. The Listening Container
2. Listening Behaviors
– Minimal encouragements
– Open-ended questions
– Mirroring statements
– Empathy questions
Listening Skills

19. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Questions that encourage the
speaker to explore the whole
landscape of the topic.
• Cannot be answered “yes” or
“no”
• Beware of advice posing as a
question:
“Have you considered doing
x?”
• Examples of open-ended
questions on next page.
Open Ended Questions
Listening Skills The Listening Stance

20. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
“You know how advice is.
You only want it if it agrees with what
you wanted to do anyway.”
— John Steinbeck

21. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
Open-ended questions – your turn
• Speakers, talk about your problem for 3
minutes. Listeners, use minimal
encouragements and open-ended
questions.
• Switch roles.

22. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
1. The Listening Container
2. Listening Behaviors
– Minimal encouragements
– Open-ended questions
– Mirroring statements
– Empathy questions
Listening Skills

23. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Statements that
summarize what the
person has said.
• Helps the other person
know you are hearing
them.
• Follow with “Have I got
that right?”
Mirroring Statements
Listening Skills The Listening Stance

24. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
Watch the video and
underline the mirroring
statements that you hear.
Mirroring statements: examples

25. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
Mirroring statements – your turn
• Same partner
• Speakers, talk about your problem for 4
minutes. Listeners, use minimal
encouragements, open-ended questions,
and mirroring statements.
• Switch roles.

26. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
1. The Listening Container
2. Listening Behaviors
– Minimal encouragements
– Open-ended questions
– Mirroring statements
– Empathy questions
Listening Skills

27. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
Empathy questions
Listening Skills The Listening Stance
• Sharing your guess about what
the speaker may be feeling:
“Based on what I’m hearing, I’m
guessing you’re really angry about
this.”
• Demonstrates concern and respect
for the person’s feelings.
• Follow with: “Am I right about
that?”
• Don’t be afraid to ask “How are
you feeling?”
• With sincerity, validate feelings:
“That makes sense to me.”

28. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Postive feelings arise
when are needs are
fulfilled
• Negative feelings arise
when needs are not
fulfilled
• Listeners can help
speakers identify their
needs and the associated
emotions
The Link Between Emotions and
Needs

29. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
Mirroring statements – your turn
• Same partner
• Speakers, talk about your problem for 4
minutes. Listeners, use minimal
encouragements, open-ended questions,
mirroring statements, and empathic
questions.
• Switch roles.

30. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
“Anything that’s human is
mentionable. And what’s mentionable is much
more manageable.”
— Fred Rogers

31. Supervisory Training Series: Communication & Self Management
Kevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
Links coming via email:
Contact Kevin Thomas at 413-597-3542
or email kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu
Supervisory Training Series
Communication & Self-Management
Questions?
• Course page link to all course materials
• Program evaluation link, feedback welcome