STC class
Working as a corrections officer, DPO, middle manager, or an executive officer in a probation setting demands effective, professional grade communication styles and skill sets. The role of probation departments hinges on communication skill sets for each level of leadership both within the department and in collaborating agencies in our communities. Effective communication is the key to building and maintaining transparent, respectful, and empathetic communication that can foster a positive work environment, encourage collaboration, and improve relationships between probation officers and their supervisors, the clients, and other collaborative agencies. Utilizing certain choice words can lead to de-escalating a stressful situation and lead a listener away from becoming unintentionally defensive. Communication skill sets are soft skills that, when worked on, can instantly bring a deputy’s presence into a positive light or reduce a deputy’s credibility due to nonverbal or verbal communication cues. Communication skills can instantly stereotype a department or an individual as competent or incompetent. It is hard to unwind these issues, but they can be readily resolved through the fundamental development of communication styles and techniques that lead to positive outcomes.