you can just make up the interviewer and interviewee questions and answers.
A significant part of interpersonal communication occurs through non-verbal communication. Hearing the meaning, intent, and sentiments of another person requires skills in pausing the internal mental processes that subconsciously take over when a leader is engaged in discussion or a listening session with internal and external stakeholders. Much is said without words when two or more persons are engaged in a face-to-face, one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many communication scenario online or in person. Effective communicators in today’s workplace ideally seek training in the skills required to become a trusted leader, team member, or coworker. They also intentionally practice the skills and habits that build confidence as a culturally competent and ethical communicator when engaging and interacting with a diverse workforce.
Assignment Instructions
This assignment provides an opportunity to learn and practice the skills associated with active listening and observation of non-verbal communication in a hypothetical interview scenario. Each student will take a turn as an interviewer and then as an interviewee. A post-interview reflection of the exchange presents an opportunity to objectively evaluate interactions through a Christian lens.
Download and review the Core Principles of Active Listening Handout (opens in a new window) to learn more about What is Active Listening? (opens in a new window)
Review The Importance of Non-Verbal Communication (opens in a new window) to learn more about active listening skills.
Create a checklist that might be used in a workplace reference for workers to use key active listening skills and practice observational skills to recognize non-verbal communication. List 5-10 checklist items on verbal communication and 5 for active listening.
Pair up with one of your peers from the Active Listening and Non-Verbal Communication Collaboration Forum to practice the skills you learned about active listening, as well as the observation skills about non-verbal communication.
Arrange and conduct two virtual hypothetical job interviews with one of your peers in this course in which each interview lasts 20 minutes followed by a 20-minute feedback discussion.
When you meet, take turns interviewing each other for 20 minutes each.
Choose a medium that allows you to see each other during the interview process, whether that is through an app on your smartphone or tablet or using a video conference tool such as Google Meet (opens in a new window).
You may choose to record the interview and share it with each other so that you can review it.
As the interviewer, use and ask the Behavioral Interviewing Questions (opens in a new window) [Original Media] to your peer who is interviewing for the role.
As the interviewer and the interviewee, take note of your checklist of non-verbal communications that might arise during the interview.
As the interviewer or the interviewee, look and listen for signs of active listening that the interviewer or interviewee might demonstrate or not clearly demonstrate during the interview. Note these on your checklist as well.
When both interviews are complete, spend 20 minutes providing feedback to your partner about their active listening and any non-verbal communication you observed. Give specific, critical feedback, avoiding just complimenting each other. Instead, provide constructive points about strengths and weaknesses. Take notes of the feedback you receive as well.
In a written reflection, summarize what you heard, observed, and learned during the interview by answering the following questions:
What was your experience in attempting to apply active listening skills?
How did your experience attempting active listening come across to your interview partner based on the feedback you were provided?
Which aspects of active listening did your interview partner demonstrate?
What non-verbal communication did you observe in your interview partner? What message(s) were received from the non-verbal communications?
How do your reflections from the interviews compare with what you researched?
How did your experiences with active listening and observations of non-verbal communications challenge any cultural assumptions or biases you became aware of during the interviews?
Submit the checklist you created and your reflection by the deadline listed.
Resources
Online Conferencing (opens in a new window)
Tool to help use Google Meet
Assignment Requirements
Checklist:
Citation Requirements: minimum of 2
Word Count: List 5-10 checklist items on verbal communication and 5 for active listening
Reflection:
Citation Requirements: minimum of 3
Word Count: 750 words
APA Formatting
Plagiarism Submission