Tuning In: Mastering the Power of Active Listening

Unlock the Potential of Effective Communication and Deeper Connections

Author

Amir & Erik
July 16, 2023

📖 Quote of Today

“The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.“

- Stephen R. Covey

☀️ Happy Sunday! Since we are officially more than half way through the year, here’s a question that can help us reflect and be intentional: Which habits do you need to double down on this year? Which habits are no longer serving you and need to be replaced this year?

🎧 Listen up, this newsletter edition is all about active listening. We want you take one of the takeaways and apply it today in one of your conversations.

⚡️Focus of Today

🗣 Today, we're focusing on a tool so powerful yet so understated that it could transform the way we communicate and connect - active listening. Imagine enhancing your relationships, accelerating your learning, and deepening your understanding, all by the way you listen.

🏎 Research suggests that the average person speaks at a rate of about 125 to 150 words per minute, whereas we have the ability to listen and comprehend up to 400-500 words per minute.

🤟 Considering the gap between our speaking and listening rates, it's clear that we have a generous capacity to absorb more than what is being verbally shared. However, when our minds wander in the midst of a conversation, we lose the chance to fully engage and learn.

Remember, every moment we are truly listening, we are learning. We're learning about others, their experiences, perspectives, and feelings. We're also learning about ourselves - our responses, our assumptions, and our ability to empathize. So the next time you're in a conversation, lean into your natural capacity to listen well. Staying present could transform your listening moments into rich learning opportunities. After all, in the landscape of communication, listeners are the true learners.

Welcome to the art of active listening.

  1. Fully Present: Being an active listener means being fully engaged in the conversation. Put away your devices, avoid distractions, and give your full attention to the speaker. 📲 

  2. Non-Verbal Cues: Pay attention to the speaker's body language. Non-verbal cues can provide insight into how the speaker is truly feeling. 😤

  3. Reflect & Clarify: Paraphrase and repeat back what you understand. This gives the speaker a chance to clarify if necessary and shows you're engaged. 😅

  4. Hold the Advice: Unless it's asked for, try to avoid giving advice. Active listening is about understanding the speaker's perspective, not fixing their problems. 🤐 

  5. Be Patient: Avoid interrupting the speaker. Let them finish their thoughts before you respond. Remember, it's a conversation, not a race. 😇 

  6. Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage the speaker to elaborate by asking questions that can't be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no'. 🤔 

  7. Show Empathy: Understanding the speaker's feelings and showing that you care is an essential part of active listening. 😊 

… but wait, there’s more 👇

💥 Content Feature

10 ways to have a better conversation

When your job hinges on how well you talk to people, you learn a lot about how to have conversations -- and that most of us don't converse very well. Celeste Headlee has worked as a radio host for decades, and she knows the ingredients of a great conversation: Honesty, brevity, clarity and a healthy amount of listening. In this insightful talk, she shares 10 useful rules for having better conversations. "Go out, talk to people, listen to people," she says. "And, most importantly, be prepared to be amazed."

www.ted.com/talks/celeste_headlee_10_ways_to_have_a_better_conversation?language=en

For even more on the topic of having better conversations, we recommend this Ted Talk by Celeste Headlee! With over 28,000,000+ views, it has been one of the most popular Ted Talks to date. Here were some of the takeaways from her talk:

  • Don’t multitask, be present and be in that moment

  • Don’t pontificate. Assume you have something to learn. Set aside yourself and your opinion on anything. Everybody is an expert in something.

  • Ask open-ended questions. Who, what, when, where, why, how?

  • Go with the flow. Thoughts and ideas are going to come to you, let them go.

  • If you don’t know, say you don’t know. Talk should not be cheap.

  • Don’t equate your experience with theirs. All experiences are individual.

  • Try not to repeat yourself. Make your point once.

  • Stay out of the weeds. No one cares about the small details. leave them out

  • Listen. if your mouth is open, you’re not learning

Mastering active listening is not just about improving our communication skills; it's about fostering deeper connections, increasing our understanding, and promoting effective learning. It's a journey of turning small habits into significant changes in our interactions. Remember, each conversation is a chance to practice and improve. Let's tune in and turn up the power of our listening!

With love,

— Amir and Erik

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