ACTIVE LISTENING
Truly Hearing What Others Say
ACTIVE LISTENING COMPONENTS:
Presence: Being mentally and physically there
Comprehension: Understanding meaning, not just words
Reflection: Checking your understanding
Response: Engaging with what was actually said
WHAT IT'S NOT
✗
Just hearing words
✗
Waiting for your turn to talk
✓ Giving full attention to understand meaning
WHAT IT IS
REFLECT (1 minute):
Think of the last conversation you had…
Were you really listening, or planning your response?
ACTIVE LISTENING LOOKS LIKE:
Put down distractions (electronics, phones) when someone speaks
Try to make eye contact if possible/if conformable
Use body language to show engagement (nodding, leaning in)
Ask clarifying questions
Paraphrase to check understanding
PAIR UP
(5 minutes total)
Partner A: Talk for 2 minutes about something you care about
Partner B: ONLY listen. No talking, no interrupting
Then B summarizes without adding opinions. Then switch!
HOW HARD WAS IT?
Most people find just listening incredibly difficult
We want to jump in with our own stories
We want to give advice
We want to agree or disagree
DIFFERENT TYPES OF LISTENING
Information
Learning facts or instructions
Understanding
Grasping perspective or reasoning
Emotion
Someone needs to be heard
Collaboration
Building ideas together
ACTIVE LISTENING = ASKING QUESTIONS
Examples of good questions to ask:
"Can you tell me more about that?"
"What do you mean by...?"
"So what I'm hearing is... Is that right?"
"How did that make you feel?"
LISTENING ≠ AGREEMENT
You can deeply listen to someone and completely disagree
Listening means respecting them enough to understand their perspective.
It doesn't mean you have to change your mind.
But it creates space for real dialogue.
QUESTION MARATHON
SMALL GROUPS (4 minutes)
One person shares something they care about
Everyone else can ONLY ask questions—no statements, no advice.
WHY ACTIVE LISTENING MATTERS
Active listening is the foundation of:
✓
Empathy and connection
✓
Learning from others
✓
All meaningful relationships
YOUR CHALLENGE
THIS WEEK:
In ONE conversation, practice full attention.
Put down your phone, make eye contact, just listen.
Notice what changes.
REMEMBER
Being truly heard is rare and powerful.
When you listen, you give someone that gift.