Chi is passionate about child wellbeing and believes that human connectedness is one of the crucial elements for healthy development. This is a space of peers, a facilitated session in which the facilitator is an equal participant, rather than an expert leading the session. All those participating have chosen to trust the process enough. To be “brave enough to join, brave enough to share” (in the words of one early participant). In writing this first blog, we carry a concern that something living and full of human potential and possibility gets reduced to a linear intervention or packaged in a ‘how to’ guide. Our challenge is to share ideas that may be helpful to people in healthcare and related systems, while respecting and honouring the spirit of #SpacesForListening.
They’ll say, “I’m not mad,” although they’re visibly upset and are raging deep down inside. This makes it difficult to have open and honest conversations. Questions such as “Why do you feel this way” or “How do you envision more support…” show that you’re actively listening and care.
Taking the time to listen (active listening) and thinking before speaking helps establish a healthy rapport. You and your partner can tackle relationship issues with an open mind and in a loving and supportive manner, thereby reducing conflicts. If you are the person holding space, you need to be tuned in to your own judgements, emotions, desired outcomes and opinions all while understanding what’s happening for the other person.
Time To Talk
Whether it was a lecture, an interview, or a conversation with an old friend, you may have strong feelings or ideas that need to be processed or written down. You may want to share your reflections with your teacher, colleague, or friend. Feel free to reach out to them and engage with them after the initial interaction.
- You have more than one way to listen, including critical, empathetic, comprehensive, and appreciative.
- And the next time someone asks if you’re a good listener, think very carefully before you answer.
- In Susan McPherson’s book The Lost Art of Connecting, she illustrates this disconnect by pointing to Julian Treasure’s popular Ted Talks.
- It takes time but mastering the art of active listening demonstrates you care and value what an employee has to say.
- Empathy, the basis of active listening, is crucial in building meaningful relationships.
What Constitutes Good Listening?
Active listening is a vital skill that goes beyond merely hearing laura date words spoken by a person. It’s about fully engaging with the speaker, understanding their message, and responding thoughtfully. A good listener uses body language, eye contact, and other nonverbal cues to show their focus and attentiveness.
The 3 Things You Need To Know About Holding Space:
We talk a lot about the power of storytelling to create an emotional connection with others and that stories are more memorable than facts. Regardless of level, think of the person you are speaking with as someone who can teach you. A helpful technique is to think to yourself, “teach me” the next time you’re listening to an employee – it will drive curiosity and make you more open to learning. It’s not only about inviting employee input on a project, initiative or ways of working; it’s actively listening to understand their employee experience. It’s also about proving you value that input by showing appreciation for an employee’s point of view and taking action on it. Screen sharing is a feature reserved for live video streams and conferencing software.
In that outline, we highlight that the space might enable thoughts and feelings to be expressed in ways that can feel moving, or even a little unsettling, and that we all need to be mindful of our own well-being. We remind people that any of us can say as much or as little as we like in our allotted 2 minutes, and anybody is free to ‘pass’ when it is their turn. What if there was a different way to gather together, and share how we are really feeling about our experiences? A different quality of space where we could share what we are thinking about, and feel listened to and heard – much like sitting in a circle together round the campfire.