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ACTIVE LISTENING

Truly Hearing What Others Say

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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

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WHAT IT'S NOT

✗

Just hearing words

✗

Waiting for your turn to talk

✓ Giving full attention to understand meaning

WHAT IT IS

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REFLECT (1 minute):

Think of the last conversation you had…

Were you really listening, or planning your response?

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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

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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, summarize without adding opinions.

Then, switch!

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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

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DIFFERENT TYPES OF LISTENING

Information

Learning facts or instructions

Understanding

Grasping perspective or reasoning

Emotion

Someone needs to be heard

Collaboration

Building ideas together

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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?"

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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.

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QUESTION MARATHON

SMALL GROUPS (4 minutes)

One person shares something they care about

Everyone else can ONLY ask questions—no statements, no advice.

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WHY ACTIVE LISTENING IS IMPORTANT

Active listening is the foundation of:

✓

Empathy and connection

✓

Learning from others

✓

All meaningful relationships

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YOUR CHALLENGE

THIS WEEK:

In ONE conversation, practice full attention.

Put down your phone, make eye contact, just listen.

Notice what changes.

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REMEMBER

Being truly heard is rare and powerful.

When you listen, you give someone that gift.

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