Part of RESPECT's mission is to educate the public about the importance of employment for people with disabilities. On a personal level, having a job is empowering because it enables people to do more things in their lives than they could do otherwise. People with disabilities want the same chance to live independently; to buy things, own a house, buy a car, take a vacation - you name it, a job can help you get there.

 

Purchasing commodities and services through the RESPECT program, helps about 1,250 Floridians with disabilities have an opportunity for employment.  

 

One main benefit when working with RESPECT is that governmental entities can bypass the bid process. The competitive solicitation process can be time consuming, expensive, and contentious. Another benefit is the additional contract oversight RESPECT staff provides on contracts. Instead of trying to track down contacts and mitigate issues, RESPECT acts as a single point of contact for issues and requests.

 

RESPECT offers a variety of services including: mowing, call center operations, janitorial, shredding, and litter pick up.

 

RESPECT also has about 600 different commodities like drug testing kits, first aid kits, mop products, and flags.

 

RESPECT's products are available through the state purchasing system, MyFlorida MarketPlace, using a punchout catalog, as well as directly through the RESPECT website. Both Purchasing Cards and Purchase Orders are accepted.

 

Any questions or inquiries about RESPECT's products and services can be directed to [email protected] or by phone at 850-942-3555. 

Are you a good listener? When someone is speaking to you, are you really listening, or are you listening to the voice in your head? Are you working on your rebuttal to their request or remembering a funny anecdote you can add to the conversation? If you are guilty of not being a good listener, you are not alone. People in general do not know how to listen. They know how to hear very well, but seldom have they acquired the necessary skills which would allow those ears to be used effectively for what is called "active listening." As Stephen R. Covey wrote in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change , " Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply."

 

Active listening means fully concentrating on what is being said rather than passively "hearing" the message of the speaker. When active listening is practiced, the listener is fully concentrating on what is being said. They listen with all their senses and give their full attention to the person speaking. In this way, active listening is the opposite of passive hearing. When active listening is practiced the other person feels heard and valued and it becomes the foundation for a successful conversation. People who master active listening can get more information from others, increase others' trust in them, reduce conflict, better understand how to motivate others, and inspire a higher level of commitment in the people they manage.

 

Shown below are seven key skills that contribute to building an active listening toolkit:

 

1. Pay attention. It may seem obvious, but the first lesson of active listening is to concentrate on the person and listen. Allow time and opportunity for the other person to think and speak. Be in the moment and not pondering other outside distractions.

 

2. Do not interrupt or change the subject. We can listen much faster than others can speak, so while the other person is speaking do not interrupt. Do not prepare your reply while the other person speaks; the last thing they say may change the meaning of what has already been said. Avoid abruptly changing the subject; it will appear that you were not listening to the other person or valuing the conversation.

 

3. Allow silence to occur. Silence can be uncomfortable, but in listening it is a critical ingredient. Allow for silences to slow down the exchange. Give a person time to think as well as talk. Silence can also be very helpful in diffusing an unproductive interaction.

 

4. Do not pass judgment. Start every listening session with an open mind. Remain open to differing ideas and other possibilities. Even when the listener has conflicting views, they should suspend judgment, hold their criticism and avoid arguing or persuading immediately.

 

5. Reflect emotion and paraphrase. Mirroring the other speaker's information and emotions by paraphrasing key points. An example is, "So, you think that we should invest more money in employee training." Phrases like this ensures you understand correctly or that the speaker knows you have heard them. Reflecting is a critical ingredient in confirming that you both are on the same page.

 

6. Ask questions to extract more information. Dig deep to seek further clarification on topics that are confusing or vague. Utilize open-ended and clarifying questions that probe deeper. Questions like these draw people out and prompt them to expand their ideas, while prompting further thought.

 

7. Summarize. Briefly summarize what you have understood as you listened and ask the speaker to do the same. By restating key themes as the conversation proceeds confirms both parties to be clear on mutual responsibilities and follow-up.

 

It is time we admit that maybe we are not as good a listener as we thought. Becoming a good active listener is a critical social skill that we can be acquired and developed with practice. Learning to quiet the inner voice in our minds will allow us to become better listeners, problem solvers, thinkers, employees, and friends. 

The information contained in this article is intended to provide useful information on the topic covered, but should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion.