CULTIVATING �BETTER LISTENING

LEADERSHIP SUPPORT COMMITTEE

April 2, 2026

JODIE FISHER

• Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live.
• Isaiah 55: 3 (NRSV)

��A wise man will hear; and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:” (Proverbs 1: 5)��

Christ Jesus on Listening:

• Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. ...��For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.�(Matthew 13:13, 15)�

Mary Baker Eddy on Listening

• Society is a foolish juror, listening only to one side of the case. (Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures, p. 238:25–26 (to 1st .))

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• If a friend informs us of a fault, do we listen patiently to the rebuke and credit what is said? (Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures, p. 8:30–32)�
• The effects of Christian Science are not so much seen as felt. It is the “still, small voice” of Truth uttering itself. We are either turning away from this utterance, or we are listening to it and going up higher. (Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures, p. 323:28–32)��

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• “We are given two ears but only one mouth because listening is twice as hard as talking.” -Larry Alan Nadig

What is a good listener?

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• Someone who focuses completely on what another person is saying and engages with their ideas in a thoughtful, comprehensive way.
• Makes a commitment to digesting the information they are being presented with and responding constructively.
• How a person listens to something is just as important as whether they are listening at all.

Preparing to listen effectively…

• It is important to ensure you’ve scheduled a time that you can provide the speaker with your undivided attention.
• Put the other person’s need to be heard ahead of your own.
• Do not abandon your need to be heard. Simply defer it.
• Once the other person feels heard, their ability and willingness to listen will increase.

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Stop counting the costs of listening -

• Count the costs of not listening.
• The chief cost of listening is time, but in reality, it doesn’t take nearly as much time to listen as it does to fix the problems created by failure to listen.
• Such as resentment, unspoken ideas, conflicts, errors, withheld efforts, etc.

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Attentive Listening - Be present

• Put away your phone & avoid multitasking & give the speaker your complete and full attention
• Focus on the speaker & concentrate on their words, ideas, and feelings rather than on what you want to say next
• Maintain regular eye contact
• Adopt an open posture, keep arms uncrossed to signal you are open
• Observe body language
• Demonstrate interest with head nods, appropriate facial expressions, and brief verbal prompts such as, “say more about that”, “I see”, “that’s helpful”, etc.

Active Listening - Clarify

• Ask meaningful questions to clarify what they are saying
• Ask open-ended questions to understand more deeply such as “who”, “what”, “where”, “when”, and “why” questions
• Listen for the “why” - to grasp the meaning & intent behind the words
• Paraphrase and reflect – rephrase what you heard to confirm your understanding
• Summarize and then ask, “Did I understand you correctly?”
• Pay attention to their emotions & intentions beyond the words they say

Empathic & Patient Listening

• Empathic Def: empathetic, compassionate, sympathetic, understanding, sensitive, considerate
• Try to understand the other’s feelings and experiences without judgment as a way to demonstrate you understand what they’re going through.
• This allows them to safely let off steam and thereby let it go.
• Allow for silence – don’t be afraid of pauses in the conversation; a pause can give both of you time to think
• Give support and encouragement rather than advice or criticism.
• Set aside personal opinion to focus purely on comprehending their message

Responsiveness

• Empathic listening means listening without interjecting your input
• there will be a time when the speaker wants to hear what you think.
• So, it may help clarify by asking either:
• “Would you like to hear what I think about this?”
• “What kind of feedback would you like from me?”
• “How can I best support you right now?”
• Or, it may be best to simply listen & give small acknowledgements.

Listen to understand

• Avoid actions, facial expressions, or gestures, or distractions that suggest disinterest or displeasure or judgment.
• Avoid rushing others or completing their sentences.
• Avoid trying to change the subject.

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Stay curious & open-minded

• Effective listening includes maintaining your curiosity and staying open-minded.

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• The more you can ask questions and think creatively about what the speaker is sharing, the more likely you will be to properly interpret their message.

Avoid Interruptions

• The more interruptions you experience while a person is speaking, the less likely they are to fully communicate what they intended to say.
• When someone is constantly interrupting you and you find that you’re repeating yourself, this is an indication of not feeling understood.
• If this happens, STOP TALKING, and start listening.

Benefits of empathic listening:

• Builds better working relationships – builds trust & more positive interactions
• Increases productivity – with greater trust & understanding co-workers work better together as a team
• Increases problem solving – with greater trust & open sharing one is more comfortable proposing new ideas, solutions, or approaches to workplace issues.
• Helps you act more considerately – with greater kindness & compassion

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Finally,

• “Contrary to what most people think, people are more firmly won over by effective listeners than by slick orators.

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• Research confirms that effective leadership is more highly correlated with listening skills than with speaking skills.”
• Targeted Learning

• The Lord has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward.
• Isaiah 50: 5 (NRSV)