BizProv Fall 2019 Recaps and Reinforcements
Week 3 Active Listening, Empathy and Trust
“Empathy patiently and sincerely see the world through the other person’s eyes. It is not learned in school; it is cultivated over a lifetime.” Albert Einstein
So proud of you all for your brave work last night!
Hello BizProv'ers:
Here’s what we covered in Week 3:
Active Listening, Empathy and Trust
Concepts Covered:
Active Listening
Creating Empathy
Building Trust
Respect and Civility in the Workplace
Interpersonal Skills
Active Listening, Trust and Empathy are qualities that will build relationships and bonds with others. Practicing how it feels to be heard, to be cared for and being others focused will build trust among team members at work.
In performing on stage actors must master the skill of active listening in order to successfully improvise in a scene. In life and work active listening is equally as important. Most people think they are good listeners, however, they are most often just waiting to respond to what is being said.
Active Listening
If you want to be liked, loved and respected, be a good listener.
Most people think that they are good listeners, however more often than not, we are not really listening, we are just waiting to respond.
I think we also forget that listening is more than hearing the words that someone is speaking, and we are not listening to the whole person.
Something like 93% of all communication is nonverbal. This means that words aren’t as important than we might think. Tone, facial expression and body language are all powerful forms of expression.
Research suggest that we remember 25-50% of what we hear. That means when we talk to our boss or colleagues for 10 minutes, they pay attention to less than half of the conversation.
We all underestimate the power of being a good listener.
Empathy- the better you know the people you work with, the better chance you will mutually empathize.
The “Golden Rule” says “treat others as you would like to be treated”. Today, many organizational experts speak of the “Platinum Rule” and “treat others as they wish to be treated.” The simple act of expressing a desire to empathize goes a long way in building trust. By investing in the act of getting to know others, you can reap great rewards, like trust. In today’s corporate landscape the challenge is creating the time and space to allow relationships to develop and flourish.
Trust-A principal that improvisers learn fast is the idea of “getting each other’s back”. The idea that no matter what happens when two people hit the stage, you will be there for each other. In improv, you have a wide safety net and this means, someone will catch you every time you fall.
Imagine if that sensation went beyond the domain of improv, extending to the modern day work environment. How different would our daily work lives be, if those same feelings of mutual trust, respect, and engagement permeated all of our relationships and interpersonal interactions?
The one thing we can’t do without in life, personal and business is trust. Before yes and, and play, and collaboration comes trust.
Active Listening Video It’s not about the Nail
How your social interactions (emotions) effect others at work.
Homework:
Listening Challenge. Try it out, so we can discuss.
Challenge yourself to try this exercise as much as possible throughout your day. It works best when you are in a one on one meeting or in a casual capacity with a colleague or workmate. You might not want to use it in a staff meeting, or folks might go thinking you've been hitting the happy stuff. It's simple. When someone is speaking to you, wait 5 seconds before responding. Count in your head down from 5, and then respond. Sounds easy right? Just you wait and reap the results of what might surprise you.
More resources on Active Listening:
https://www.kornferry.com/institute/514-the-science-of-listening