“What’s next?” asks puzzled masters swimmer Joanne during
warm-up.
“Three, one hundreds, on top.” her teammate in the lane next to
hers replies.
“A 300?”
“No, three, one
hundreds.”
“What? Are we going on
the bottom?” she asks.
“No, on the top.” he
responds with just a hint of frustration in his voice.
“100 on top?” she
questions.
“Top!” five swimmers
call out in unison.
I’m Sorry, I Have Difficulty Hearing.
Joanne suffers from
slight hearing loss. Because of her hearing challenge and the ambient noise of
an Olympic pool filled with splashing and talking, she is often forced to ask
her teammates to repeat the coach’s instructions to ensure she doesn’t get lost
during the workout. Unfortunately, people do occasionally get a little
impatient with Joanne’s questions and she feels upset and apologetic.
Joanne is not the only
member of the team who finds it difficult to hear, some have trouble because of
hearing loss and some have trouble due to water in their ears, earplugs, and caps
worn low over the ears. Whatever the reason, not
being able to hear is exasperating and can make group participation a struggle.
Hearing loss affects
between 21 million and 28 million Americans reports the University of Arkansas Research and Training Center
for Persons who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. With such a high prevalence of
hearing loss, chances are many of the people that we encounter in our day to
day lives struggle to hear us clearly.
On a sports team or in
the workplace the objective of the group is to achieve a positive and
productive outcome. If one member of the team is struggling it is to the
detriment of the whole unit.
When a person is a valuable and contributing asset of a team,
the whole group has an obligation to ensure that person is given every
opportunity to perform to her highest potential. The team must make it as easy
as possible for the person to receive information.
So what is the proper
etiquette for a group with a member who is hard of hearing?
The following social
skills tips will help any group run more smoothly.
·
Have compassion
It is important for the
group to have compassion for anyone having trouble hearing. Stepping into the
shoes of one with hearing loss and imagining what it would be like not to be
able to hear provides people with an idea of how isolating, discouraging and
frustrating it is to suffer from hearing loss. If a person feels impatient with
another who has trouble hearing, before exhibiting anger it is useful to take a
moment and imagine trying to perform in a group yet missing key components of
the information needed to complete the task. It goes without saying that those
with hearing loss should be treated exactly like the rest of the group with a
few minor tweaks to help them better gather information.
·
Offer spots in the
center of the group
It is hard for anyone to
hear when placed far from the speaker. Those people who have difficulty hearing
should be encouraged to be in the center of the group and close to the
facilitator. Actions that the group can take to help those with hearing loss
are to switch seats, change the seating configuration, and change a long
rectangular table for a round table. It is important for those with hearing
loss to let others know so people can help accommodate.
·
Write it down
Write down the workout
or meeting agenda and make sure that everyone can see it. Members of the group
who have difficulty hearing should be positioned in front of the board so that
they can keep track of what is happening now and what will happen next. There
are many affordable technological devices designed specifically for hearing
loss that can be added to meeting rooms or workspaces to improve
communication.
·
Speak deliberately and
clearly
Refrain from speaking
too quickly, shouting or mumbling. Speak deliberately but don’t slow
speech down so that it seems patronizing and demeaning. Be quiet when
other people are speaking to help reduce background noise.
·
Look at the person
Speak face-to-face to
those with hearing loss. It is easier to hear and read the lips if looking
directly at the person. People with hearing loss struggle to get as much
information as possible.
·
Provide time to
understand
Before rushing on to the
next talking point, allow the person with hearing loss time to take in the
information and process it. Rephrase instead of repeating to avoid
misunderstandings. Some words are easier to hear or lip read than others and
it’s likely that simply saying it another way will bring clarity.
·
Be patient and remain
composed
Sure, repeating what has
just been said can be trying at times, however, it can’t compare to
the exclusion and frustration that a person with hearing loss suffers day in
and day out. Be polite and help a hard of hearing teammate or coworker stay
with the conversation. Take the time to clear up any misunderstandings and
educate the group if not everyone is helpful or as understanding.
We
are social beings and communication is the mechanism that we use to connect
with one another. Without effective communication we lose the thread that ties
us together and that is isolating and depressing. Helping those who have
difficulty relaying information back and forth is vital to the health of the
individual with the difficulty and also vital to the quality of the group. A
culture in which everyone supports the success of each individual means
greater success for the group.
