New Employee Orientation Training

Ways to Encourage Participation

Your behavior throughout the session sends a message that either encourages or discourages participation. Sometimes the messages are pretty straightforward; sometimes they are much more subtle. Those subtle messages, often communicated without our awareness, can have a very powerful effect.

Nonverbal Communication

What you do often speaks more loudly than what you say. Use the power of these nonverbal communication techniques to encourage participation:

• Eye contact. Be attentive to the group by making eye contact with all participants.

• Head nodding. Nod your head to show understanding and encourage the participant to continue with his or her comments or questions.

• Posture. Avoid defensive postures, such as folded ...