1. Title: "The Art of Active Listening | The Harvard Business Review Guide" 2. Good listening involves more than just staying silent and repeating what was said. 3. Listening is an active, noncompetitive, two-way interaction. 4. Authors Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman advocate for being an active listener like a trampoline, providing height, acceleration, energy, and amplification to the speaker's thoughts. 5. Recognize your default listening style, whether it's task-oriented, analytical, relational, or critical. 6. Consider the goals of each conversation and determine the most suitable listening mode. 7. Listen without an agenda to process the other person's words without formulating an immediate response. 8. Be aware of who the focus of attention is in the conversation. 9. Sharing personal stories can establish connection, but avoid steering the conversation away from the speaker. 10. Ask, "What am I missing?" to delve deeper into the unsaid aspects of the conversation. 11. Good listening goes beyond nodding and repeating; asking questions signals understanding and invites more information. 12. Pay attention to verbal and nonverbal cues to uncover unexpressed emotions or vulnerabilities. 13. Example: Instead of dismissing concerns with reassurance, ask open-ended questions to encourage further detail. 14. Question yourself: "Am I getting in my own way?" Address internal insecurities or distractions that hinder deep listening. 15. For senior leaders, listening is an imperative skill with more at stake. 16. Leaders may find themselves in information bubbles where employees avoid tough conversations. 17. Kevin Sharer advises leaders to listen purely for comprehension without judgment, agenda, or distraction. 18. Leaders should actively seek input from all levels and create an atmosphere prioritizing trust over hierarchy. 19. Review: Most conversations benefit from being active, supportive trampoline listeners. 20. Assess your default listening style to improve listening skills. 21. Consider the other person's needs in the conversation to determine how to best listen. 22. Be cautious about sharing personal experiences that may divert attention from the speaker. 23. Ask questions not only about what is said but also about what may be left unsaid. 24. Address internal obstacles to truly listen deeply. 25. Senior leaders should question if they are in an information bubble and actively seek input from all levels. 26. Practice listening purely for comprehension without judgment. 27. Create an environment that prioritizes trust over hierarchy for open communication. 28. All strategies mentioned are based on HBR articles. 29. Encourage viewers to share their own listening strategies or suggest topics for future HBR videos. 30. Closing: Thanks for watching, and the HBR team is listening.
I was wanting to summarise all the points perfectly bt was unable to do so and ur comment helped me sooo much .... Thank you for ur patience to write all this and unintentionally helping me, I really thank you .
I'm an Australian and studied abroad in Sweden ~10 years ago. I remember being caught off guard when I realised Swedes were genuinely listening to what I had to say and treating it as meaningful, rather than just waiting for their turn to say something. I still consider myself very fortunate for having this experience and have tried to listen 'the Swedish way' ever since.
I first watched this video while writing an email, having multiple tabs open, and trying to get a deliverable for work done at the same time. Many times in a remote work environment, it's easy to get distracted by an abundance of noise that we have in front of us which can make active listening challenging. I know I fall victim to this many times... I watched the video through a second time with zero distractions and gave it my full active listening/attention and there's definitely a lot of actionable advice i'm going to hopefully bake into my personal/professional life. Cheers HBR for the insightful video!
The more I try to improve my listening skills, the more I realize how rarely I feel listened to or heard. I am constantly in conversations with friends who are distracted by their phone or something else.
Wow! I just realized that I’ve been active listening, but the problem has been that i am active listening to the wrong people. Sometimes I find myself in the conversation and actively listening to the dumbest people I’ve ever come across in my life and I’m applying this information to all the weird shit that’s coming out of their mouth, imagine a Harry Potter sort of long-winded conversation that has now gone off the rails because I’ve been so engaged.
I listened. I wrote all suggestions on how I might be listening into my journal this morning. I’m. frequently a mind wandering 80 year old and finally am seeing my inadequate focus. 😊 I appreciate this video. Thank you for awakening my thoughts 😅❤
Thanks for this short guide. When I'm listening there's always another me inside my head formulating how to respond next and what the other person would think of me. That's incredibly annoying because I can't take in what the other person is actually saying!!!
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 Good *listening involves more than silence and repetition; it requires active, noncompetitive engagement.* 01:22 Recognize *your default listening style (task-oriented, analytical, relational, or critical) and adapt based on the situation.* 02:19 Ask *yourself why you need to listen, considering the goals of the conversation, and focus on the speaker without an agenda.* 03:18 Pay *attention to verbal and nonverbal cues, ask insightful questions, and avoid redirecting the conversation to yourself.* 04:46 Overcome *internal obstacles like insecurities to truly listen, especially crucial for senior leaders to avoid information bubbles.* 06:13 Aim *to be an active, supportive trampoline listener, seeking comprehension without judgment, agenda, or distraction.* Made with HARPA AIti
Just came accross this video and find it so very interesting, as it gave me a very clear picture of the process of being a better listener. I think it'd be great if you could mention also what could help us remember or keep in mind what we've just listened to. Thanks again.
Thanks so much I have been making these mistakes unintentionally for a long time. I used to think that I was listening people and encouraging them by saying " I see it was not easy for me if I handled with this one you could do as well:)"
Thanks a lot for the subtitles! I'm an English student, and when I find interesting content, I really like good subtitles (not automatically generated)… so… THANKS! 😄
Very informative and truly helpful , Amy i have listened to some speeches from you previously might be in podcasts i think and it was really amazing , but the methodology you employed in this video is really practical and if you could make a video for the “Conflict management” topic , this will be great.
Hi, First of all, thank you so much for these precious advice. I'm pretty sure we could expand these quality in personal life, because it is getting hard to find sincere listeners around us. Thanks again and take care.
Listen with your eyes. It's very important to maintain eye contact all the time. This shows you are interested and engaged in what the other person is saying
practice active listening by engaging with what people say by giving affirmative replies and asking follow-up questions to show that you are paying attention.
When my friend and I talking, I used to avoid eye contact because it's a bit uncomfortable, so I look at everything else but I keep listening and responding.
This is a great video that did highlight things that I can see in myself that I still do that hamper my ability to be a more active and clear listener. There was a question I had and I’ve already called it “reframing the information “ that when what is being given or shared with listener, is translated into the listeners own words and presented as a question to the person communicating the information. Personally, I have found this to be incredibly effective. Do you have a perception or experience with that method of helping the person speaking to feel more heard because if the listener reframes the information and it is incorrect or the reframed information has a different meaning than what was intended , the person communicating the information , usually quite quickly correct the listener Would love to hear your thoughts or experience Also, thanks for the video
The Art of Active Listening 1. How do I usually listen? 2. Why do I need to listen right now, what is the purpose? 3. Who is the focus of attention in the conversation? 4. What am I missing? Speaking up and ask good quesitons. 5. Am I getting in my own way? Good listening is an imperative (crucial) skill. 6. Am I in an information bubble?
Listening is attentiveness and availability to perceive. In other words, to hear, feel, and see. The situation that the reason may not be able to fathom, the heart that is also a faculty of perception may be able. God speaks to the hearts.
We are working on one right now, actually! We'll have a video from Harvard Business School's Linda Hill on what makes a great leader, in the next couple weeks.
I was told a conversation about a problem someone is experiencing revolves around three questions. How long have they had the probem? Do they know what caused the problem? Do they know how the problem could be solved? As the listener, you are just a mirror that the speaker can use to discuss their problems and explore their options. I was also told you should be neutral and you should make no value judgements.
Thank you so much! This is great! We would love it if you could teach us how to talk with a toxic manager. Thank you so much! Adult Business English class.
Active listening used to work at my work place It don't work anymore. If you have a problem or know about a problem in the work place you're supposed to report it to the higher up management. Now, higher up management tells you to take your complaint to the department supervisor, you take your complaint to the department supervisor and they tell you to take it to higher management, which is what you just did. You get a lot of run around. In my work place, there are a few ppl who need to be out.
In a world in which the love for wisdom is missing another catchy phrase that everybody “knows about” yet no-one goes deep enough to understand it. Doscussing A/L at a superficial (blame like fashion) reminds me of the Streetlight Effect, or the story “The Six Blind Men and the Elephant”. Another question to ask: If A/L is a solution what is the problem? Alternatively, what is the context?
I think another good way of active listening (if this is available) is to work on a solution to the conversation/problem (if there is one) while listening. An example -- I volunteer with children and sometimes learning and school can be stressful. While they are teaching/telling me about the things they learned I try to place my focus on relaxing activities like drinking water or coloring. They pick up on things like that extremely quickly and start doing it for themself. I would love for you all to cover how to professionally address, implement, and provide constructive feedback? Thank you for listening 🙂
Locals take my politeness for granted. But if I am blunt or direct with them they go and tell everyone. Maybe they get scared. But in the end they always win. Sometimes even silence provokes me. People say that they did not say anything while I get vibes.
I think other people's lives are more interesting than mine. I also want to get to know them, details of their lives and relationships. But the ADHD person that I am, I find my mind wondering, no, I'm not a good listener.
yup I'm silent because I'm realise human with low lvl of iq or knowledge or experience or creativity or positive vibe will be trigger with my word and give negative feedback..and I believe people in Harvard they all good person with positive vision for the mission of goodness..because that's is how a real good teamwork actually works..
It is disappointing that a video on listening would show that the writers did not really listen to the guidance on emphatic listening. To say that the message in such advice was simply to "parrot back" what someone else said is simply wrong. If you listen to understand you can then try to reflect your understanding back to the other person. This shows you are listening and also allows the other person to be sure you really heard that they were saying. You cannot do this unless you are actually listening. Please don't disparage others who have had very successful experience in using this emphatic method. It is not a trick, but rather a very incisive tool in making sure you are listening, and letting the other person know this.
1. Title: "The Art of Active Listening | The Harvard Business Review Guide"
2. Good listening involves more than just staying silent and repeating what was said.
3. Listening is an active, noncompetitive, two-way interaction.
4. Authors Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman advocate for being an active listener like a trampoline, providing height, acceleration, energy, and amplification to the speaker's thoughts.
5. Recognize your default listening style, whether it's task-oriented, analytical, relational, or critical.
6. Consider the goals of each conversation and determine the most suitable listening mode.
7. Listen without an agenda to process the other person's words without formulating an immediate response.
8. Be aware of who the focus of attention is in the conversation.
9. Sharing personal stories can establish connection, but avoid steering the conversation away from the speaker.
10. Ask, "What am I missing?" to delve deeper into the unsaid aspects of the conversation.
11. Good listening goes beyond nodding and repeating; asking questions signals understanding and invites more information.
12. Pay attention to verbal and nonverbal cues to uncover unexpressed emotions or vulnerabilities.
13. Example: Instead of dismissing concerns with reassurance, ask open-ended questions to encourage further detail.
14. Question yourself: "Am I getting in my own way?" Address internal insecurities or distractions that hinder deep listening.
15. For senior leaders, listening is an imperative skill with more at stake.
16. Leaders may find themselves in information bubbles where employees avoid tough conversations.
17. Kevin Sharer advises leaders to listen purely for comprehension without judgment, agenda, or distraction.
18. Leaders should actively seek input from all levels and create an atmosphere prioritizing trust over hierarchy.
19. Review: Most conversations benefit from being active, supportive trampoline listeners.
20. Assess your default listening style to improve listening skills.
21. Consider the other person's needs in the conversation to determine how to best listen.
22. Be cautious about sharing personal experiences that may divert attention from the speaker.
23. Ask questions not only about what is said but also about what may be left unsaid.
24. Address internal obstacles to truly listen deeply.
25. Senior leaders should question if they are in an information bubble and actively seek input from all levels.
26. Practice listening purely for comprehension without judgment.
27. Create an environment that prioritizes trust over hierarchy for open communication.
28. All strategies mentioned are based on HBR articles.
29. Encourage viewers to share their own listening strategies or suggest topics for future HBR videos.
30. Closing: Thanks for watching, and the HBR team is listening.
I was wanting to summarise all the points perfectly bt was unable to do so and ur comment helped me sooo much .... Thank you for ur patience to write all this and unintentionally helping me, I really thank you .
@@obanaiscans4933 I don't deserve the credit I used chatGPT
I'm an Australian and studied abroad in Sweden ~10 years ago. I remember being caught off guard when I realised Swedes were genuinely listening to what I had to say and treating it as meaningful, rather than just waiting for their turn to say something. I still consider myself very fortunate for having this experience and have tried to listen 'the Swedish way' ever since.
Congratulations
How about Australian way ?
I want you😂😅
@@riteshshukla56050:38 0:38
I first watched this video while writing an email, having multiple tabs open, and trying to get a deliverable for work done at the same time. Many times in a remote work environment, it's easy to get distracted by an abundance of noise that we have in front of us which can make active listening challenging. I know I fall victim to this many times...
I watched the video through a second time with zero distractions and gave it my full active listening/attention and there's definitely a lot of actionable advice i'm going to hopefully bake into my personal/professional life.
Cheers HBR for the insightful video!
The more I try to improve my listening skills, the more I realize how rarely I feel listened to or heard. I am constantly in conversations with friends who are distracted by their phone or something else.
Wow! I just realized that I’ve been active listening, but the problem has been that i am active listening to the wrong people. Sometimes I find myself in the conversation and actively listening to the dumbest people I’ve ever come across in my life and I’m applying this information to all the weird shit that’s coming out of their mouth, imagine a Harry Potter sort of long-winded conversation that has now gone off the rails because I’ve been so engaged.
For something so transformative and beneficial to our ability to articulate with others, I'm shocked that this got so few likes.
Amy, thank you for this-- active listening is so critical for all of us, and so difficult!
I listened. I wrote all suggestions on how I might be listening into my journal this morning. I’m. frequently a mind wandering 80 year old and finally am seeing my inadequate focus. 😊 I appreciate this video. Thank you for awakening my thoughts 😅❤
Good luck Phyllis!
Thanks for this short guide. When I'm listening there's always another me inside my head formulating how to respond next and what the other person would think of me. That's incredibly annoying because I can't take in what the other person is actually saying!!!
write it down (fast) then focus on the listener 😀
Quieting internal monologue...million dollar question!!
Study old path white cloud sir
I used to think I was a good listener; not anymore. This video made me reflect, now I am keen to practise to be a good one, for real.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:00 Good *listening involves more than silence and repetition; it requires active, noncompetitive engagement.*
01:22 Recognize *your default listening style (task-oriented, analytical, relational, or critical) and adapt based on the situation.*
02:19 Ask *yourself why you need to listen, considering the goals of the conversation, and focus on the speaker without an agenda.*
03:18 Pay *attention to verbal and nonverbal cues, ask insightful questions, and avoid redirecting the conversation to yourself.*
04:46 Overcome *internal obstacles like insecurities to truly listen, especially crucial for senior leaders to avoid information bubbles.*
06:13 Aim *to be an active, supportive trampoline listener, seeking comprehension without judgment, agenda, or distraction.*
Made with HARPA AIti
oh my gosh, its so true! I attached my own experience of every step you desribed! Great job, big thank you!
I just came across these HBR videos, they are awesome!! Straightforward, full of insight and with a lot of practical tips!!!
Just came accross this video and find it so very interesting, as it gave me a very clear picture of the process of being a better listener. I think it'd be great if you could mention also what could help us remember or keep in mind what we've just listened to. Thanks again.
Nice video, as a interpreter and a teacher this helps me a lot, thanks for making this video!
Thanks so much I have been making these mistakes unintentionally for a long time. I used to think that I was listening people and encouraging them by saying " I see it was not easy for me if I handled with this one you could do as well:)"
Thanks a lot for the subtitles! I'm an English student, and when I find interesting content, I really like good subtitles (not automatically generated)… so… THANKS! 😄
Thank you Amy and HBR for insightful session on active listening.
Very informative and truly helpful , Amy i have listened to some speeches from you previously might be in podcasts i think and it was really amazing , but the methodology you employed in this video is really practical and if you could make a video for the “Conflict management” topic , this will be great.
This video just proved me I am the best listener of all time 😂😊
Hi,
First of all, thank you so much for these precious advice.
I'm pretty sure we could expand these quality in personal life, because it is getting hard to find sincere listeners around us.
Thanks again and take care.
Thank God! need this the most when talking to my wife
Thank you!
1. Be active listeners
2. Trust
3. Why do I need to listen it now
Listen with your eyes. It's very important to maintain eye contact all the time. This shows you are interested and engaged in what the other person is saying
practice active listening by engaging with what people say by giving affirmative replies and asking follow-up questions to show that you are paying attention.
When my friend and I talking, I used to avoid eye contact because it's a bit uncomfortable, so I look at everything else but I keep listening and responding.
Something to keep in mind is a tactic that you can purposely make an argumentative person feel ‘ unheard’ to stop arguing etc. ☺️
This is a great video that did highlight things that I can see in myself that I still do that hamper my ability to be a more active and clear listener.
There was a question I had and I’ve already called it “reframing the information “ that when what is being given or shared with listener, is translated into the listeners own words and presented as a question to the person communicating the information. Personally, I have found this to be incredibly effective.
Do you have a perception or experience with that method of helping the person speaking to feel more heard because if the listener reframes the information and it is incorrect or the reframed information has a different meaning than what was intended , the person communicating the information , usually quite quickly correct the listener
Would love to hear your thoughts or experience
Also, thanks for the video
Excellent content and super clear way to present! Just to reinforce HBR you are the best!!!😍👏👏👏👏👏
I hate when someone is talking to me about a subject and my first answer is hmm, aha. That is a piece of good advice, I need to improve. Thanks
Great video!! If you can talk about emotional intelligence and practices one must adapt to have good balance
Thanks for making knowledge free much love
Exceptionally well crafted video! Thanks!
Good information, This has been my IDP for this year and love this. Thanks
Thank you HBR for this video. Very informative.
If this resonated, then I recommend the I Hear You podcast, the Michael S Sorensen one, esp. ep3.
Listen more than you talk always win friend.🙌🙌
The Art of Active Listening
1. How do I usually listen?
2. Why do I need to listen right now, what is the purpose?
3. Who is the focus of attention in the conversation?
4. What am I missing? Speaking up and ask good quesitons.
5. Am I getting in my own way? Good listening is an imperative (crucial) skill.
6. Am I in an information bubble?
Thanks a lot 👍🙏
Hi Amy, Thanks for the guidance
Great lessons in the video. How about one on helping leaders navigate ambiguity and cope with change.
Listening is attentiveness and availability to perceive. In other words, to hear, feel, and see. The situation that the reason may not be able to fathom, the heart that is also a faculty of perception may be able. God speaks to the hearts.
My day starts with listening what I love to listen 🤪🤠🤟
nice video, i would like to request for HBR to cover more video about leadership style in the new era. thank you
We are working on one right now, actually! We'll have a video from Harvard Business School's Linda Hill on what makes a great leader, in the next couple weeks.
Very inspiring. Thank you.
This is a great video.can you also make a video on GROUP DISCUSSION ?
I was told a conversation about a problem someone is experiencing revolves around three questions. How long have they had the probem? Do they know what caused the problem? Do they know how the problem could be solved? As the listener, you are just a mirror that the speaker can use to discuss their problems and explore their options. I was also told you should be neutral and you should make no value judgements.
Great video! :) This was really helpful.
Sounds like coaching. Great video. 😊
Thank you so much! This is great! We would love it if you could teach us how to talk with a toxic manager. Thank you so much! Adult Business English class.
Great advice! Thanks for sharing.
Active listening used to work at my work place
It don't work anymore.
If you have a problem or know about a problem in the work place you're supposed to report it to the higher up management.
Now, higher up management tells you to take your complaint to the department supervisor, you take your complaint to the department supervisor and they tell you to take it to higher management, which is what you just did.
You get a lot of run around.
In my work place, there are a few ppl who need to be out.
In a world in which the love for wisdom is missing another catchy phrase that everybody “knows about” yet no-one goes deep enough to understand it.
Doscussing A/L at a superficial (blame like fashion) reminds me of the Streetlight Effect, or the story “The Six Blind Men and the Elephant”.
Another question to ask: If A/L is a solution what is the problem? Alternatively, what is the context?
Really helpful, thanks for sharing.
Great video. Thanks for sharing
Very interesting video. Thanks!
So remarkable. I love it.
I think another good way of active listening (if this is available) is to work on a solution to the conversation/problem (if there is one) while listening. An example -- I volunteer with children and sometimes learning and school can be stressful. While they are teaching/telling me about the things they learned I try to place my focus on relaxing activities like drinking water or coloring. They pick up on things like that extremely quickly and start doing it for themself.
I would love for you all to cover how to professionally address, implement, and provide constructive feedback?
Thank you for listening 🙂
I'm so proud of you
Thank you for the great tips.
Locals take my politeness for granted. But if I am blunt or direct with them they go and tell everyone. Maybe they get scared. But in the end they always win. Sometimes even silence provokes me. People say that they did not say anything while I get vibes.
Thank you, HBR😍👍🏻
I'm coming back to this soon
Great information thankyou!
We're listening!
I have observed that LISTENING is a key soft skill required of managers and senior leaders.
Could you please talk about how to work with a busy supervisor during an internship?
Thanks for the video.
Ironically, I was listening to this while watching TV...then realised
what's this background music? its awesome
Thank so much
Great lessons.
Great video, gracias.
Thank you so much 😊
what about listening with people from different cultures or virtual international teams?
Nice video. Thank u.
Interesting listening.
Thank you very much
I wish to see new ministry that helps people who talk to apps like siri , where siri can detect any trouble in the conversation..
Thank you all very much
I think im good listener cause i even can remember conversesion even if that 3or4 years ago
I think the last one refers to "unbiased listening"
How would you quiet an internal monologue?
Amazing
I love it. Deep
Can i get a TL,DR on this?
Speaking of removing distractions, it would be great not to have to listen to that non-stop background music.
Had to watch this in 1.5x speed
Suggested topic/s in a future HBR Video/s: Emotional Intelligence and Empathy
Beautiful
Thank you
How to remember something for a long time?
In this day of excessive even false information, how do I know what to listen to? And more importantly, even whom to listen to?
I think other people's lives are more interesting than mine. I also want to get to know them, details of their lives and relationships. But the ADHD person that I am, I find my mind wondering, no, I'm not a good listener.
That’s crazy 😮
Thanks
yup I'm silent because I'm realise human with low lvl of iq or knowledge or experience or creativity or positive vibe will be trigger with my word and give negative feedback..and I believe people in Harvard they all good person with positive vision for the mission of goodness..because that's is how a real good teamwork actually works..
A lot of what I had to listen to in my job was pure BS
You can learn how to ‘ Dismiss’ a personality like that
It is disappointing that a video on listening would show that the writers did not really listen to the guidance on emphatic listening. To say that the message in such advice was simply to "parrot back" what someone else said is simply wrong. If you listen to understand you can then try to reflect your understanding back to the other person. This shows you are listening and also allows the other person to be sure you really heard that they were saying. You cannot do this unless you are actually listening. Please don't disparage others who have had very successful experience in using this emphatic method. It is not a trick, but rather a very incisive tool in making sure you are listening, and letting the other person know this.