Since its inception, USE* has recognised that clear, concise communication is essential for building good and supportive relationships with customers, with work colleagues, and elsewhere. To support this directive, USE* is committed to providing Active Listening training to help our team members develop and grow both personally and professionally.

Active Listening skills compose a series of techniques that empower the individual to better understand and control the flow and subject matter of a conversation. These skills are utilised ethically and practiced par excellence by the UK Samaritans charity who offer confidential emotional support for anyone in a situation of difficulty or crisis 24-hours per day, 365-days per year.

The USE* team completed its second training course for Active Listening skills delivered especially by Crawley and Horsham Samaritans this week. This followed a successful pilot course delivered towards the end of 2007.

Around ten students attended the training. The emphasis is to develop candidates’ understanding and application of active listening skills to help them manage confrontation and cope with and manage conversations with difficult subject matter. Another goal of this training is to equip candidates with the skills to identify their own stress levels and those of their working colleagues, and to understand how the individual and USE* can and will act to provide support and ameliorate situations of personal stress.

Thanks to the experience and the excellent materials deployed by the Samaritans’ volunteers who support this training, the course was a resounding success. Candidates who attended wondering why they had be scheduled to join and how the course would benefit their professional lives, left the course feeling refreshed and positive about the value of the two days they had spent. The key appreciation for most was how active listening skills can play a critical role in every aspect of our lives, from personal through to professional relationships.