Sheet 90
CONSIDERATION AND UNDERSTANDING
Interaction with the public takes many forms, such as communicating face-to-face, on the telephone, through written documents, etc. To ensure good interaction, officials must fully understand, address the needs of and consider the positions of both parties.
1 Understand the Person with whom you are Dealing
(1) Address their needs
The general public visit government offices for various reasons, e.g. to discuss administrative matters, register information, apply for certificates etc. To ensure that interaction on occasions such as these is effective, it is important that officials quickly identify their needs, understand their circumstances, and attend to them accordingly. Some examples are given below.
・Throughout the discussion, officials should mentally place themselves in the other persons position, listen patiently, explain everything in easy-to-understand language, and strive towards a solution that will satisfactorily accommodate both parties.
・When an official makes use of their authority to summon a member of the public, they should first thank the person for responding, then explain the matter clearly and at the same time, listen receptively to what that person has to say.
・Whatever the situation, the key to successful human interaction is honesty and sincerity.
(2) Match their personality
One of the basic principles of human interaction is sincerity. Given that each individual is different, however, in addition to being sincere, officials must try to emphasize with the personality of the person with whom they are dealing. For example, towards kind and gentle people, they should always be polite and never attempt to take advantage; towards difficult people, they should be modest and tolerant; towards reserved people, they should be patient and kind. The attitude adopted should always reflect the position of the person they are dealing with, i.e. how do they wish to be treated, which way is best for them ?
(3) Take an objective attitude
Humans are emotional beings. Most people have a tendency to adjust their behavior in response to their first impression of a person, which is usually based on appearance, manner of speech, attitude, etc. Emotional behavior such as this, can have a negative effect on the running of the job. Acting in an emotional or impulsive manner and revealing personal feelings is possibly the worst way to interact with the public.
