Community participation is essential to the planning process—whether it entails a planning to engage community participants or delivering community health assessment outcomes. The two listening strategies observed in the Laureate Education (2012) media format was the idea that organizational leaders listen and understand the concerns and problems of the community members. The community health workers who are based in the communities understood the dynamics of the communities’ cultures.
Every Friday morning, department managers and supervisors would engage in a meeting on how to better implement new ways of handling patients’ medical records. The listening problem arose when other team managers failed to appreciate inputs from Dr. John (i.e. from Ivory Coast). The team managers did not effectively listen to his comments and concerns. Some managers thought his experiences in Ivory Coast were totally different from current setting. I was always under the impression that one day they may carefully listen to the views of Dr. John, and potentially use his concepts, alas no. This whole episode went for a while until one day–a manager came and asked, “do you even understand him when he talks because I don’t?” Soon after, I went and reported the issue to the HR director. Correspondingly HR got involved and secretly participated in the weekly meeting. During the upcoming meeting, I stood up and presented the notion of teamwork and individual involvement regardless of other protective variables. It is critical for organizational managers to position themselves to an environment that appreciates diversity and improve team performances by effectively listening to the concerns/ideas of others.
Figuring out effective ways of engaging community participants translate to understanding that every listening approach has a conflict with three sides. I see active listening more like a process of conflict resolution. In his article, Christensen, K (2011) suggested the first side of the conflict, which is how I see the problem – for instance, I am right and you are wrong. The second side is how you/the assessor sees the problem – for instance, you are right and I am wrong. It is also true to see listening from two sides of the same coin. The third side is how they see the problem – for instance, the neutralizers will level the conflict in terms of differences between the flip of the coin. It is also true for us to understand that listening approach could be viewed from even outside the community landscape. I think when 99% of people begin to listen, their mind may imagine themselves unseeingly following what someone else is saying, without having a backbone to twig up for what they think is right—because someone else’s thinking of right is not always right. Therefore, assessor’s thinking mentality should not always be dependent on what he thinks is right or wrong. A perfect example of how community participation and leadership may bring about direct knowledge of the issues comes about a case study of the community of Sogoog, Bayan-Ulgii. Nault & Stapleton (2011) presented a paper, which explores a community-based ecotourism development in a small, remote community in western Mongolia. In this example, it was the roles of community leadership that helped in assessing the community’s desire to develop ecotourism, their understanding of the issues involved and the practicability of the process in a poor herding community, where 63% are herdsmen, frequently absent with their herds. I believed community participation is much more than just theories. It is the contribution that needs to be carefully tailored in enhancing development, at the basic community level—a critical tool for sustainable development and a foundation for national development.
Christensen, K. (2011). Difficult Conversations: How to Address What Matters. Rotman Magazine, 22-27.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Bias and listening strategies. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Nault, S., & Stapleton, P. (2011). The community participation process in ecotourism development: a case study of the community of Sogoog, Bayan-Ulgii, Mongolia. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 19(6), 695-712.
