All right, in this chapter, we're going to look at response and feedback. Meaning, what is it that you say to respond to what somebody else has said, response or feedback is referring to the techniques that you're going to use to confirm understanding of the message that somebody else has spoken. the right kind of feedback can significantly improve the process of communication. And the wrong kind can stop a conversation cold. Feedback takes many forms. For an analyst, the most powerful are paraphrasing, mirroring, open ended questions and empathy statements.

So let's take a look at each one of those. Paraphrasing involves restating to the speaker in your own words, what you believe is the essence of what has just been set. By occasionally checking your interpretation with the speaker. You can accomplish that things. First paraphrasing demonstrates that you've been actively interested in the speaker and what they're saying. Second, you guard against any serious misunderstandings.

And lastly, the quality of the communication is increased because you're showing the speaker what information is getting across to you and what is not. So let's look at paraphrasing techniques. You can use statements like so what I heard was, if I understand you correctly, we need. Let's see if I've got this, look for the speaker's reaction to your paraphrasing. Keep asking for clarification until the message is clear. Now let's look at mirroring.

Mirroring requires you the listener to repeat verbatim what the speaker just said. So you're not repeating it back to them in your own words, you're repeating it back to them in their words. That technique is helpful for several reasons. One, if they're getting straighted it helps to calm them because you're repeating back to them exactly what they've said. It brings true clarification. It also helps auditory learners.

It's good for calculations, definitions and exact instructions. So some techniques that you want to make sure you use is to always keep your voice calm and accepting. And always follow mirroring with paraphrasing. So first, you're saying back to them verbatim what they said, and then say, so if I'm understanding you correctly, what you mean is, or let me make sure that I've understood that correctly. And then paraphrase in your own words. Okay, open ended questions.

An open ended question is one that evokes a longer response than a yes or no, which is considered a closed question. Broad, open ended questions have great power as a questioning technique, and you should always use that in your requirements elicitation sessions. It shows interest in the other person's situation. It encourages more dialogue and follow up questions are going to come out of the response that they give you. If you are in a requirement session and you say to somebody, is there anything else about that I need to know. They're probably going to say no.

Their brain has shut down on that topic. You've just asked them a yes or no question. You've basically given the easy out for their minds to take not that they're trying to be lazy, or they're trying to take the easy way out. But their brain is now focused on either yes or know, where if you say to them, what else do I need to know? It makes their brain start looking for what else you need to know? It's almost like it's a computer based on the question that you ask.

It's giving your response. So asking it as an open ended question. forces, their brains go through the process of looking for what else they need to tell you. Here's some example. have open ended questions. What is your opinion of what are some possible solutions to what additional tasks are required?

So instead of saying, Are there any other tasks required, just simply change that to what additional tasks are required? And if there are none, then they can tell you that there are none. But you want them to go through the thought process of figuring that out, rather than just jumping to that. Examples of closed ended questions or things like Does everyone agree? Does anyone have a problem with this? Are these all of the tasks?

So some open ended question techniques are things like keeping the questions simple, don't get too involved. Don't make them too long. listening for operative words in the speaker's response so that you can build follow up questions and use the funnel technique to build a more specific detailed questions as you go. So start out think of what a funnel looks like. It's more open at the beginning and comes down to getting More closed. So you want to start out with some broad statements in the beginning some broad high level type of questions.

And then as you continue asking questions, you're getting more focused on a specific area. Empathy statements can help to play back the speakers, unspoken feelings that have been expressed with voice tone and body language. So an empathy response acknowledges unspoken emotion. As an analyst information gathering sessions, and project team meetings can sometimes be very full of emotion. And emotional speakers do not make good listeners. So when somebody is starting to get emotional, they're no longer listening and you want to try to reduce emotion.

So to reduce the emotion in the conversation, you have to address and acknowledge that emotion. You can't pretend that it's not there. Some statements say you can make Are things like I'm sensing you're not comfortable with this option. It seems to me that there may be some concerns with this. You want to use I statements, not you. So don't say that the person you are, say something that starts with I make it about you instead of about them.

Respond with empathy. I can appreciate your frustrations. That does sound like you're overloaded, how can I help? Things like that will help reduce the emotion from their side which will help open them up to listening more