[MUSIC PLAYING] SPEAKER 1: Let's start with some tips for effective communication. First, you should strive to be assertive-- not aggressive and not passive. So something in between. Let's talk a bit about the differences between being assertive, passive, and aggressive. So someone who is assertive is confident, direct, and also reassuring. Passive means accepting without questioning or pushing back at all. And aggressive means being intense or overly harsh, or eager to fight or disagree. So we want to be assertive, not passive, not aggressive. Here are some examples of what that might look like in a conversation with a case. So let's imagine the case says, why should I stay home or tell you who I've seen recently? Below that are three possible answers. One that's assertive, one that's passive, one that's aggressive. So let's read through what these sound like. An assertive response, or a good response, would be, you'd like to know why I'm asking you to stay at home? Well by staying separated you're helping your loved ones and community stay safe. We strongly recommend that you, and lots of other people like you, stay home so that we can stop the spread. A passive response-- which isn't good-- would be something like this, oh, well you don't need to if you don't want to. So you'd want to be more assertive. An overly aggressive response might sound something like this-- you have to stay home, because we said you have to. And you should probably listen, because that's what's good for you and your kids. So this one is overly aggressive, and it might have the unintended consequences of breaking down rapport. And really you want to have a good rapport. You want a good communication with the case. It's important to always use simple words and avoid technical terms that people may not understand. So some technical words to avoid using are "case", "contact", or "infectious period." You now know what these words mean, but not everyone does. So it's better to use simpler phrases. Some examples of simpler phrases you could use are instead of case you could say, someone who's sick. Instead of a contact you could say, someone who's been around a sick person. Instead of infectious period you could say something like, the time in which we can spread coronavirus to others. So let's imagine you call a contact, and the person who answers the phone asks why are you calling me? Don't say, well, you came in close contact with a case during your infectious period. They might not understand. A better way to say that could be, I'm calling to let you know that you were recently around someone who tested positive for coronavirus. Because you spent some time with them, you may also get sick. Another important communication tip is communicate just one message or one question at a time. When you ask multiple questions at the same time it can sometimes confuse people. Or you may get a response back that doesn't give you the clear answer that you need. If you include just one message at a time, then you'll be better able to meet your goals to both get information and also give information. Sometimes people take time to process new information while you're talking. So if you give just one message at a time, it allows them time to understand what you're asking or what you're saying. So it improves the overall quality of your conversation. It also gives you the chance to check in frequently and see if they've understood you. So an example of how not to do it might be to ask a case this question-- do you have a fever, any shortness of breath, or a cough? You've asked multiple things at once. If they respond yes, then you're not sure which one they had. Is it all three? Is it just one? A better way to do it would say, do you have fever? Or to ask, what symptoms have you had since you got sick last Monday? Then they could list them all out for you. So again, in summary, it's best to ask just one question at a time. You're very lucky, because you have many, many decades of experience in contact tracing helping you become a contact tracer. And there are some really common pitfalls that happen with communication, with contacts, and with cases. So let's review some of these so that you can avoid them. Some common pitfalls are that you're going too slowly or too quickly. Another pitfall could be that you sound unfriendly or that you're bored or annoyed. If you talk too quietly, they may not be able to hear you. If you talk too loudly, they may not like that either. Interrupting others is another common pitfall that you definitely want to avoid. And finally, don't offer any personal opinions. This is a time just to provide them with facts. You should also recognize and know the limits of what you know, and refer people to a health care worker for medical advice. You'll often get a lot of questions about medicine, people who are concerned about their health and want answers. But you're not the right person to provide that, so be sure they know who they can contact about their medical questions. Let's say, for example, that a contact asks you, so you're saying that I've been near someone while they were sick with COVID-19. Well, do you think I should be worried if I have diabetes? Don't tell them, I don't think you should worry about that. It doesn't seem important. You don't really know. It's best that they talk with their doctor. So you could say instead, you know, that's not something I'm an expert on. I suggest that you chat with your doctor about that. And then you could even follow up to make sure they have someone that they can talk to. Now you're going to see a video, and this is a conversation between Larry and Drew, who's a contact tracer. This conversation doesn't go very well. So see if you can spot some of the errors that Drew made, and we'll talk about them next. DREW: Hi. Larry? LARRY: Hello. This is Larry. Who is this? DREW: Hi. I'm from the health department. I'm calling about your recent lab test. Could you confirm your birthday for me? 1949, right? And your address. LARRY: Well, actually it's 1947. October 25, 1947. And I live it 510 Gale Drive. DREW: Great. Well, I'm calling to let you know that you're a case of coronavirus, and you're probably still in your infectious period. LARRY: Yeah. My doctor said the test was positive. But they didn't say there's a treatment yet. Do you know? DREW: I think they'll probably have one soon if they don't already. But listen, I'm just calling to let you know that you should stay inside. And you have to, because we said you do. SPEAKER 1: OK. Now let's review what happened with the conversation with Drew and Larry? So first, you can see where Drew says, hi, I'm from the health department. He didn't really introduce himself well, and he also interrupted Larry who is in the middle of a sentence. He asked for Larry's birthday and address at the same time. And remember, you want to ask questions separately. Next, Larry gave his birthday and his address, but then Drew explained why he was calling, but he used technical terms like "case" and "infectious period." And you shouldn't do that. Larry may not understand what you're talking about. Next Larry, rightly so, is asking about a treatment. He's curious and wants to know. But Drew shouldn't really offer an opinion, because he's not sure about treatments for COVID-19. And then he was a bit aggressive in explaining about how Larry should stay inside. So again, you want to be assertive, but not too aggressive to be sure that you're having the most effective communication as possible. Now let's listen to another scenario. And in this scenario, Amy is the contact tracer and she's having a conversation with Larry. And this one goes much better, because she's using all the tips of effective communication. We'll review that after you're done. AMY: Hello. May I please speak with Larry Murray? LARRY: This is Larry. Who is this? AMY: Hi, this is Amy Jones from the health department. I'm calling about your lab test from last Monday. Is now a good time? LARRY: Yeah, that. Yes, now is OK. AMY: Thanks, Larry. Before we keep talking, I just need to check your date of birth. I have here that you were born in 1947? LARRY: Yes, October 25th. AMY: Great. Great. So I'm calling you today because you were tested for coronavirus. Has someone already called you to talk about the results? LARRY: Yeah. I was positive. My doctor said you might be calling, but he didn't mention any treatments. Anyway, how can I help you? AMY: Yeah. Well your doctor would be the best person to ask about any treatments. I'm just here to check on you, give you some instructions, and ask a few follow up questions. We're calling everybody who tests positive to make sure that they and our communities have what they need to stay safe. So sound OK to you? LARRY: Yes. I understand. Thank you. SPEAKER 1: All right. So that call went a lot better, didn't it? You can see that Amy introduced herself and quickly stated why she was calling, and checked that now was the best time to talk. She asked one question at a time, and she thanked the case. Before saying the positive results and confirming that with Larry, Amy asked the case what they already knew. Often they may have heard from their medical provider before you call them. In this scenario, Amy didn't offer up any information about treatment, and didn't respond defensively, even though Larry was upset. Amy continued to assert herself in a friendly way, but without being harsh. This is a good example of some language that you might use also on your calls. Also note when you listen to this call that the interviewer wasn't going too slowly or too quickly. The pace felt just right.
