Professional Development It struck me immediately that I had just witnessed a completed and totally functional social exchange; a social contract, if you will, that was absolutely without any verbal communication whatsoever. That seemingly unimportant, commonplace encounter got me thinking of how we as funeral service providers often communicate non-verbally. Are we able to still our minds of the myriad of details and thoughts coursing through our brains when a woman in our arrangement office needs to tell us every single detail of the last hours of life of her husband of 53 years? Do we hear? More importantly: Are we truly listening, or are we miles away in our thoughts? “We have funerals every day; the families we serve do not,” is emblazoned on a sign our staff sees every time we leave the business office. It is a reminder of the responsibility we have not only to use our technical skills to the best of our abilities, but also those non-technical skills such as active listening. My friend and OGR Past President George Darte has said that at his firm, the rule for arrangement conferences is that for the first 15 minutes, it is “pens down and eyes up." I would encourage us all to adhere to those sage words. Listen to what is being said and to what is NOT being said. It can truly make a difference in someone’s journey. John Dallas Slack, CFSP, is vice president of OGR member firm Slack Funeral Home, P.A. in Ellicott City, Maryland. He is a second-generation funeral director and embalmer, and has been managing his family funeral home since 1983. John has been active as a member of the MSFDA Disaster Response Team and is a certified Forensic Investigator and a licensed insurance agent in Maryland. JD Slack is an OGR member. Any member may submit content for publication consideration, free of charge. Reach out to Evan Hoffmeyer at EHoffmeyer@OGR.org for details. Bridge To The Next Generation In Your Families Every death leaves an estate to be settled. The executor is your connection to the next generation of the family, and Closing Affairs is the bridge to make that connection. Closing Affairs has been a leading executor tool kit for over twenty years, and it is now available in a printed U.S. edition. • Agendas/Schedules • Step-by-step guide • Form letters for Government/Business entities • Access to more resources on ClosingAffairs.com So Many Opportunities To Build Relationships You can use many of the features of Closing Affairs to maintain contact with the executor and provide assistance. For more information and introductory pricing, call 1-888-829-8362 or email info@inexinc.com www.ogr.org | The Independent® 47
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