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About Peter Gerlach, MSW
Expertise
I can answer questions about how to significantly improve your thinking and communication effectiveness, and your relations with adults and kids. I cannot answer legal, medical, grammar, punctuation, spelling, or spiritual questions.

Experience

I have studied and taught communication and relationship skills for 40 years, and have been a professional family-systems therapist (MSW) since 1981.

Organizations

I am a past Board member of (a) a large suburban community mental-health center and (b) the Stepfamily Association of America, and I am a current member of the National Stepfmily Resource Center (NSRC) Experts Council

Publications
I have published 6 books, including one on communication skills: "Satisfactions" (Xlibris.com 2002); and over 150 articles in the nonprofit educational Website Break the Cycle! - www.sfhelp.com

I have also published articles for Selfgrowth.com

Education/Credentials
BSME, Stanford University, 1959 MSW, George Williams College 1981 Clinical internship U. of Illinois Institute for Juvenile Reasearch (IJR) 1981 Over 100 post-grad courses on a wide range of human-relationship topics

Past/Present Clients
over 1,000 self-referred Midwestern-U.S. adults, kids, couples, and families

You are here: Experts > People/Relationships > Communication Skills > Communication Skills > establish and maintain professional relationships

Communication Skills - establish and maintain professional relationships

Expert: Peter Gerlach, MSW - 11/2/2009

Question
Hi Peter,

Please, how to establish and maintain professional relationships and effective communication with parents and other family members of our children

The Question is as following:

Task 1: Establish positive relationships with family members
The Singhs have recently moved to Summerville. They wish to enrol their son, James who is four years old in our centre. Mr Singh has made an appointment to visit our centre next week and find out more about our services. I will be away and I want you sa career giver to meet him and answer his queries.
In preparation for this meeting with him, I want you to jot down strategies and ideas to ensure that we establish a positive relationship with him and lay a good foundation for future interactions.
Here are some questions:
1. What will you do to ensure that a welcoming atmosphere is created for Mr Singh’s visit?
2. How would you introduce yourself to Mr Singh and outline your role at our centre? How will you show him our facilities?
3. What strategies would you adopt to develop his confidence in our service and enable him and his family to actively participate in his child’s experiences after he has enrolled at our centre?

Please, you can answer promptly, I can wait, take your time

Thank you for your help Peter

Regard Emma

Answer
Hi Emma - I'm puzzled by your question, because I suspect you already know the answer. To "create a positive impression," whomever greets Mr. Singh should be:
respectful and courteous
attentive
informed on the centre's services, staff, and layout
responsive to his questions
empathic to his family's concerns,
clear on the parent's responsibilities, and
enthusiastic about providing care for his child.

These qualities and rendering professional care for his son should "build a foundation for a positive relationship."

I sense that you're trying to forge some kind of script to "guarantee" the outcome of the meeting. If so, I suggest you trust in human nature, relax, and calmly practice the basics outlined above(!)

Respectfully, Pete

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