THE INTEGRATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF FUNERAL DIRECTOR HELPING SKILLS
“What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing.”
Aristotle
ENHANCING SKILLS THROUGH PRACTICE
You have learned a number of essential helping skills in an effort to become a more effective funeral director. Your goal at this point is to integrate and implement these skills into everyday practice.
We have all heard about the importance of “PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.” To know about interpersonal skills is one thing; to integrate them into your everyday “way of being” is another thing. That is why extensive use of activities and role-playing are essential to developing successfully the effective use of the skills outlined in this training.
This chapter focuses on providing a framework for extensive practice of your newly learned skills. At this point in the training, we will focus on extended role-playing allowing you to sharpen your newly learned skills. The activities that follow will provide a framework for enhancing your interpersonal skills with practice.
GROUP OBSERVATION OF TRAINER INTEGRATION OF SKILLS
Directions
The trainer will provide an extended role-play (approximately 10 to 15 minutes) modeling the use of a wide variety of the skills outlined in this training. This will allow participants to observe the use of these skills in an integrated interaction.
A volunteer will be asked to role-play with the trainer. All remaining participants will use one of the “Observation Sheets” found in this chapter. Upon conclusion of the role-play a debriefing discussion will be held with the entire group.
Expectations
Participants will be encouraged to ask follow-up questions and clarify any misunderstandings related to any of the skills observed. Thus an integration of skills should become more meaningful to participants.
TRIAD BREAK-OUT REHEARSAL INTEGRATION OF HELPING SKILLS
Directions
Work in triads. The purpose of this activity is to provide participants with the opportunity to practice the use of a variety of skills in an extended role-play (approximately 10 to 15 minutes).
One person (speaker) should serve as the person the funeral director (helper-listener) will assist. The helper-listener will practice the use of as many newly learned interpersonal skills as possible. You should not expect that every skill will necessarily be used. The third person will use one of the “Observation Sheets” found in this chapter. Upon conclusion of the role-play the triad members will discuss this experience using the information outlined by the observer.
Expectations
Strengths observed and areas that need continued work will be discussed in detail.
Two observation sheets are provided in the remaining portion of this chapter. Observation Sheet I (Figure 16.1) will be completed by each person as he or she observes the trainer role-model these skills (see Activity 16.1). Observation Sheet II (Figure 16.2) can be completed by you when you are in the role of the observer in the break-out rehearsal (see Activity 16.2).
After reading and participating in the activities outlined in this chapter you should be able to (1) serve as a supportive observer of effective interpersonal skills, and (2) demonstrate the integrated use of the skills outlined in this text.
Figure 16.1 Observation Sheet I
Figure 16.2 Observation Sheet II