Genuine listening examples
The deepest need of the human heart is to be understood. Everyone seeks to be respected and valued for who they are - a unique individual. Unfortunately, it is our tendency to want to solve people's problems and know them before even attempting to understand what their problem is. When trying to really understand someone instead of judging, he or she is more inclined to drop defenses, be open to influence, and be more understood.
This is an activity I have done when training Peacekeepers or working with adolescents on how to listen. To understand someone, you must listen to them. Surprise! The problem is that most of us don’t know how to listen. Where/when do we teach this skill? Role play each of the following listening styles:
For example, try saying the following sentence by emphasizing a different work in three different ways:
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