Factors Supporting and Inhibiting Communication
Factors that support and inhibit communication
Positioning: Seating arrangements and positioning should be considered carefully when communicating with others. Positioning between care workers and service users will depend upon the purpose of the communication to be undertaken. For example if the communication is informal and between two people, sitting next to one another, with the care worker mirroring the body language of the service user could be best. If however the communication is to be of a more formal nature, then having a table at a higher level, with chairs placed near but on different sides of the table may be more appropriate. If the communication to be to a large audience then a lecture theatre layout would be more appropriate, as the speaker could be seen and heard by all.
Positioning can create barriers on receiving messages and interpreting messages which inhibit communication. If we cannot see each other then it will inhibit communication. In care settings, it is important to keep our eyes in the same level as the person that we are communicating with. But it is as important to consider positioning while working with people having difficulties. For example in a early year setting, children look at our facial expression, tone of voice, etc to understand us and in elderly care setting, people having hearing difficulties can read our lips to understand us etc. therefore in care settings, it is important to have positioning to understand them as well as us. The height of chairs and tables can influence communication. Sometimes it can enhance, other times the height of chairs or tables can inhibit. A court room was designed so that the judge sat much higher than the defendant and also looked down on everyone else. The ability to look down shows his authority. A care worker should not look down on the people you care for. It is important that your eyes are at the same level as the person you are caring for.
Seating patterns send different messages.
Positioning: Seating arrangements and positioning should be considered carefully when communicating with others. Positioning between care workers and service users will depend upon the purpose of the communication to be undertaken. For example if the communication is informal and between two people, sitting next to one another, with the care worker mirroring the body language of the service user could be best. If however the communication is to be of a more formal nature, then having a table at a higher level, with chairs placed near but on different sides of the table may be more appropriate. If the communication to be to a large audience then a lecture theatre layout would be more appropriate, as the speaker could be seen and heard by all.
Positioning can create barriers on receiving messages and interpreting messages which inhibit communication. If we cannot see each other then it will inhibit communication. In care settings, it is important to keep our eyes in the same level as the person that we are communicating with. But it is as important to consider positioning while working with people having difficulties. For example in a early year setting, children look at our facial expression, tone of voice, etc to understand us and in elderly care setting, people having hearing difficulties can read our lips to understand us etc. therefore in care settings, it is important to have positioning to understand them as well as us. The height of chairs and tables can influence communication. Sometimes it can enhance, other times the height of chairs or tables can inhibit. A court room was designed so that the judge sat much higher than the defendant and also looked down on everyone else. The ability to look down shows his authority. A care worker should not look down on the people you care for. It is important that your eyes are at the same level as the person you are caring for.
Seating patterns send different messages.