Interpersonal Skills Training

CHAPTER 6

SKILL ONE: ATTENDING OR LISTENING

1. DEFINE THE SKILL

a.   Attending or listening is when the funeral director physically communicates interest or gives attention to the person.*

b.   The funeral director gives the person undivided attention; by means of verbal and nonverbal behavior; he or she expresses a commitment to focus completely on the person.

c.   Listening is the focus—listening for verbal as well as nonverbal clues.

In your role as a helping funeral director, you are often called upon to help either people you are currently serving or people you have served in the past. Learning how to listen effectively is an excellent means of putting your care into action. As you know from your own experiences, people need to be listened ...