How Skillful Are You at Working With People?
According to Jackie Hibberd, volunteer coordinator at Franciscan at St. John in Cincinnati, Ohio: "Two-way communication is essential to the formation of working relationships. When the working relationship empathizes the helping (or enabling) process, nonverbal communication is equally as important as verbal communication."
Hibberd shares the following list of characteristics required to develop positive relationships with people:
1. Ability to accept criticism.
2. Ability to maintain confidentiality.
3. Confidence in others' abilities.
4. Dependability.
5. High tolerance for ambiguity/confusion.
6. Patience.
7. Honesty and truthfulness.
8. Positive listening skills.
9. Readiness to congratulate and commend where appropriate.
10. Realistic awareness of the needs of other people.
11. Ability to refrain from imposing personal standards on others.
12. Belief in individual capacity to grow and change.
13. Capability of permitting individuals to solve their own problems.
14. Perception and encouragement of individual strengths.
15. Capacity to admit mistakes.
16. Capacity to admit "I don't know."
17. Care and concern for all people.
18. Respect for individual's dignity.
19. Willingness to help.
20. Sincerity.
21. Sense of humor.
[Reprinted from The Volunteer Management Report with permission from Stevenson Consultants, Inc., P.O. Box 4528, Sioux City, Iowa 51104. The Volunteer Management Report is a monthly newsletter designed to assist volunteer managers and volunteers. To receive a free sample issue, simply call, write or fax your request to: Stevenson Consultants, Inc., P.O. Box 4528, Sioux City, Iowa 51104. Phone: (712) 239-3010. Fax: (712) 239-2166.]
