Collaborative Communication

The importance of effective interpersonal communication skills in building and maintaining collaborative relationships is substantiated by a growing body of qualitative research. Consequently, collaborative communication skills have been incorporated into personnel and staff development training guidelines for many professionals, including those in early childhood education and special education programs (DEC-CEC, NAEYC, & ATE, 1995). Similarly, collaborative communication strategies are an integral component of successful training programs for peer coaches. Effective communication skills are critical to a successful peer coaching partnership. One training manual explains:

“When the sender communicates a desire to collaborate in defining a mutual problem and in seeking its solution, he tends to create the same problem solving orientation in the listener; and, of greater importance, he implies that he has no predetermined solution, attitude, or method to impose. Such behavior is permissive in that it allows the receiver to set his own goals, make his own decisions, evaluate his own progress ...” (Robbins & Roberts, 1990, p. 81)

This section focuses on the following characteristics of collaborative communication:

• Open questions
• Neutral probes
• Leveling statements
• Nonverbal encouragement

Open Questions

Open questions are invitations to respond with an elaborated comment of the listener’s choice. Eliciting a response beyond a yes/no or a v statement of fact. open questions foster full communication. Open questions can be answered in a variety of ways with a wide range of comments. The response of the listener is never taken for granted.

Techniques include the following:

• “Tell me about ...”
• “How do you ...?”
• “What would you ...?”

Practice

Activity 1

Identify each of the following questions as open (O) or closed (C).

____ 1. What do you think about this procedure?
____ 2. Do you want me to take frequency data?
____ 3. Are you going to provide any prompts?
____ 4. How would you like the activity to proceed?
____ 5. How have you done that with other children?
____ 6. Do you want me to observe the entire 30 minutes?
____ 7. How do you think it went today?
____ 8. Did you like the new format?
____ 9. Should we use the same criteria we set last time?
____ 10. How could we do this differently?

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Activity 2

Rewrite each of the following nonexamples as an open question.

1. Can that count be right?
2. Are you going to change toys next time?
3. Is this data sheet okay with you?
4. Should we move our meeting time to 11:30?
5. Does it make any difference?

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Activity 3

Formulate an open and a closed question for your response to each of the following.

1. Your partner says that s/he did not do a very good job during the observation.
open question
closed question

2. Your partner complains about the child’s behavior during the observation.
open question
closed question

3. Your partner asks you to supply a solution that s/he could try next time.
open question
closed question

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Neutral Probes

Probing is a strategy for encouraging discussion and gaining additional information following an inadequate or incomplete response to an open question. Thus, probes are intended to motivate the inviting partner to clarify or explain an answer he or she has been given. Probes also help to keep the discussion focused. Creating bias is always a concern with the use of probes: probing responses must appear neutral.

Techniques include:

• A brief verbal acknowledgment of understanding or interest, such as “I see” or “That’s an idea”
• An expectant pause, coupled with a look of anticipation or nod of the head
• Repeating an open question
• Repeating the inviting partner’s reply in your own words
• A neutral followup question that requires further response or clarification from the inviting partner (i.e., “What makes you say that?,” “Why do you feel that way?,” “What do you think might have caused that?,”).
• Asking the inviting partner to help you understand her response (i.e., “I’m having trouble understanding where you want to go from here,” or “I’m sorry, but I need help picturing this.”).

Practice

Activity 1

Indicate each response as neutral (N) or biased (B).

____ 1. What made you think of that?
____ 2. I think what you’re saying is that you’d like to change your focus.
____ 3. Maybe he was just too tired today.
____ 4. You didn’t think it went well? I thought it was a great idea!
____ 5. How would that look?
____ 6. Could we talk about that a little more?
____ 7. Yes, I think I understand.
____ 8. Don’t you want to try something a little less complicated?
____ 9. Hmmm ...
____ 10. Tell me how that makes you feel.

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Activity 2

Rewrite each biased probe to be more neutral.

1. I think the schedule is working really well, don’t you?
2. Could you use some kind of reinforcement to get her to do that?
3. Do you think he’s distracted by the TV?

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Leveling Statements

Leveling statements are used to convey acceptance of one’s own and others’ feelings and competence as equally valid. Such statements defend speakers’ rights and personal space but they do so without abusing others’ rights or space. They are never intimidating or submissive.

Any two people may have legitimate but conflicting beliefs. Leveling statements acknowledge that reality and attempt to clarify claims so parties can negotiate and compromise without one getting the better of the other.

An effective leveling statement includes three critical components:

1. acknowledgment of another’s position as valid
2. assumption of other party’s competence
3. desire for compromise or negotiation

Practice

Activity 1

Identify each as leveling (L), intimidating (I) or submissive (S).

___1. I know your schedule is very busy. If you will alert me next time you anticipate being late, we’ll reschedule.

___2. I know I’m making too many demands on your time. I’ll just do all the paperwork from now on.

___3. I’m probably taking you away from something important that you really needed to do today.

___4. If you had checked your voice mail, you would have known I couldn’t meet today.

___5. Well, I’ll just give up my planning time for the next couple of months.

___6. Can’t you get your act together and hire some more teachers for this place?

___7. Sure, I can do all that, and in my spare time I’ll knit you a sweater.

___8. I guess I could just set up a video camera and not ask you to do that observation.

___9. Let’s just skip our postobservation conference, since you probably won’t want to change anything.

___10. This data sheet may look complex, but you’ve managed others that were similar. How would you simplify it?

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Activity 2

Compose a leveling statement for each of the following situations:

Situation 1: Your partner has agreed to a specific time/date for peer coaching. Today she says she is no longer available at that time

leveling statement _____________________________________

Situation 2: Your coaching partner suggests that she make a tape recording of the observation so you can summarize your own data

leveling statement _____________________________________

Situation 3: Your partner has been late for your preobservation conferences the last two times and has thrown off your schedule for each of those days.

leveling statement _____________________________________

Situation 4: At the preconference, your inviting partner hands you a two-page data recording sheet.

leveling statement _____________________________________

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Nonverbal Encouragement

Effective communication includes nonverbal behavior that conveys the interest of the listener. Nonverbal behaviors can be positive or negative. Examples of the most influential nonverbal behaviors associated with collaborative communication are shown below.

Barriers to Collaborative Communication

Any communicative behavior that puts the listener on the defensive or discourages the listener from making a response poses an obstacle to collaboration. A checklist of specific behaviors to avoid during peer coaching includes:

• Advising
• Anticipating
• Cross-examining
• Denying
• Diagnosing
• Directing
• Judging
• Lecturing
• Praising
• Teasing
• Warning

Practice

Activity 1

Match each communication barrier to an appropriate example.

Click here to see answer key