Listening to what people are really saying improves our relationships with others both at work and at home. Deep listening is a skill we can all benefit from developing, especially during challenging times. But what is ‘active listening’ and how can this help others?

During this podcast we explore key themes that help develop this valuable life skill: 

1.     How the importance of how self-awareness helps us to listen to others

1. How to pay attention, use body language and compassionate feedback
2. How to defer judgement and respond respectfully 

THE KEY POINTS WE COVER…

·       The research suggests typically we only ‘hear’ 25-50% of any conversation!

·       Defining active listening as ‘a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying, but the complete message being communicated’

·       How deep listening helps to avoid misunderstandings, reduce conflict and saves us time

·       Understanding how active listening can impact our ability to influence, persuade and negotiate with others

·       Recognising the importance of not being distracted or interrupted to stay fully present

·       The importance of listening with your whole body and noticing what we see, hear, feel, sense and being alert to incongruence

·       Recognising that active listening makes family, friends, colleagues and clients feel truly valued and recognised

·       Understanding how paraphrasing and reflecting back compassionately can signal deep listening and stops us making assumptions

·       Recognising the importance of self-awareness to regulate emotions and ensure we remain open minded and non-judgemental 

·       How being comfortable with silence and not interrupting can provide people with valuable and empowering ‘time to think’ 

·       The importance of listening with a mindful and respectful ‘I’m OK, you’re OK’ attitude to ensure people are fully heard 

SOME REFERENCES…

The Listening Space – A New Path to Personal Discovery, by Tamsin Hartley

Active Listening, by Carl R. Rogers and Richard E. Farson

Presence, by Patsy Rodenbury

Games People Play, by Eric Berne

Time To Think, by Nancy Kline