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Your personal style of communication is very important to you, both for success at part 3 and in your long term goals as an instructor.
If you develop a good personal style, you'll find all areas of your communication so much easier.
Your personal style of communication is something that you develop throughout your life. You've been practicing and refining it since the day you were born.
Many of us are aware of our unique style, and if anyone tries to tell us that we need to change it, it can be a quite deeply hurtful experience.
It's very difficult as a trainer to talk about and develop a trainees personal style of communication when there are other trainees in the car. In truth, it's impossible to achieve unless the training is on a one to one basis.
You can do an awful lot to improve your technique on your own, or with the help of your family. The solution lies in recognising the problem, and then actively doing something about it.
The fact is that many of us are aware of problems with our communication. Problems come in a variety of ways . . . we can talk too fast, or we can talk too slow . . . we can have a voice that is so low in volume that the SE will have to ask you to continually repeat yourself . . we can use mannerisms and sounds that we are usually unaware of, but which our learners find intensely irritating.
Always keep in mind that communication is a two way process.
Let's look at some of the common problems and solutions:
Interruption:
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Do you ever catch yourself finishing someone else's sentences? Do you allow people to communicate to you, or do you continually interrupt them?
This is a very common problem with many trainees. I've even seen trainers with this problem.
Never forget that teaching is not talking
If it was, you could all read this site and pass part 3 without any training at all. Shame, is it not?
Teaching is often about listening. There are many occasions where trainees and trainers constantly interrupt each other. The result is that each of them never receives the full message that the other was trying to send.
The solution is to purposefully catch yourself doing this. As soon as the other person tries to speak, shut up and listen . . . avoid talking louder or faster to speak over them. You must eradicate this.
Too fast, too slow
This is a problem area of speech that many people are themselves aware of.
If you speak too quickly you run the risk of leaving your learner behind, as their brain works overtime to catch up. If you speak too slowly, you could bore them to death, or worse, not get all your instruction correct before reaching that busy crossroads or take far too much time on a part 3 briefing . . .
The solution is to record yourself on a portable tape recorder or personal computer. Actively listen to yourself. Try to hear yourself as others will hear you.
Practice pitching the tone and speed of your voice at the level you'd like to achieve, and continually monitor your progress.
Mumbling
This is one of the most common problem areas with trainees, and you simply must recognise it and work hard to eradicate it.
What normally happens is that the trainee gets under pressure as the car approaches a busy hazard, their body posture changes and screams 'I'm nervous now', at the same time their voice level peters off until it's almost imperceptible.
Mumbling is a symptom of lack of confidence and gives your entire communication an air of incongruence.
The solution is first to know your subject, so that you can deal with thins confidently. You then need to actively raise your voice to a firm but friendly tone . . . and make sure it stays there.
Your every instruction, your every command needs to be issued professionally and with confidence, yet without being overbearing to your learner.
Again, use a tape recorder or personal computer to record your voice on part 3 practice sessions, either with your trainer or with family. You can make remarkable progress if you work at it.
Mannerisms
Mannerisms can be summat about what ya completely unaware of an that. Ya know, it's kinda like, well . . kinda irritatin, init? Know what I mean, right?
But mannerisms can . . .be, erm . . .well . . .erm . . . something that erm . . . stops us . . . erm . . .stops us from . . .erm . . .getting our words out . . .and that . . .erm . . .can be really . . . erm . . .how shall i say? . . .erm . . . irritating.
Think about a simple part 3 briefing . . .
What we do, right, is we kind of check that mirror, ya know? Then we put a signal on like, then get in position ok, and then have a right good look round ya know.
Again, as before, the solution lies in recognising the problem and doing something to correct it. Use a tape recorder or personal computer to record yourself giving instructions or a part 3 briefing, either with your trainer or with family. As above, you can make remarkable progress if you work at it.
ADIT Team.
