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Recruit officers benefit from a course in conversation

(Photo Provided/Indiana Department of Natural Resources)

PLAINFIELD, Ind. (WISH) – Recruits hoping to become conservation officers with the Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources are learning to talk the talk. Their training involved visiting an assisted living center, but their mission wasn’t to help the elderly.

You can learn a lot from talking, whether it’s to a crowd of classmates or with a complete stranger. Just ask Adam Bailey, one of more than a dozen recruit conservation officers tasked with holding an hour long conversation with someone they’ve never met.

“After going through the experience I was blown away. I was like wow, I really do need to work on my interpersonal communication skills,” Bailey said.

So did the rest of the recruits in the classroom at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy according to Master Conservation Officer Dennis Talley. He designed the training because a majority of his recruits are millennials. He said that generation is often to wrapped up in talking through texting, Facebook or other forms of social media.

“The art of conversation has gone by the wayside where people just don’t take the time to talk with each other anymore,” Officer Talley said.

Having the recruits practice asking questions and giving detailed answers was only half of their training. The other part was making sure to listen.

“You can ask my wife, before this I probably wasn’t the best active listener,” said recruit Josiah Julian as he gave his presentation about his conversation to the class.

Bailey added by saying, “Everyone has so much that they want to talk about, they cut other people off. And by setting there and not saying anything, actively listening, you find so much more information about that person.”

During Bailey’s presentation, he mentioned how he would put his hand on his chin while listening to show interest with his conversation partner, while also giving the person affirmation.

He and Julian also learned when not to press on touchy subject and instead shift the conversation in a different direction to keep their partner talking. From the sound of it, the recruits understood the lesson loud and clear.

“If I’m walking up on someone, I’m looking them in the eye, I’m saying ‘Good morning sir,’ striking up a small conversation as practice for whenever I actually get out in the field and talk to people on a natural level,” said Bailey.

“Take the time, take the time to invest in other people and it’s a very rewarding experience,” said Officer Talley. He added that this was the first time he ever utilized conversation training, but based on the success with the recruits he hopes to use it again.