As part of the ProfEd Project I have been reflecting and learning a lot about the role of a facilitator and youth worker. I have been also thinking about the skills and competences needed to perform these roles in the best possible way.
During this journey, there was this idea that has always been present either as facilitator, youth worker or even as participant: I need “active listening” in order to learn. I need to be present, to create a connection and to be open and ready to give and receive new information.
Nowadays there is so much information around us, huge “to-do” lists accomplish. Even more distrations online and offline making our presence harder and harder. Our attention became our best asset. I believe our attention became more valuable than gold. And when we talk about education, we talk about our future and the future of the next generations. We talk about listening and being listened.
Becoming a better listener is not only about understanding how you listen, it includes taking certain steps. According to the Havard Business Review 2022, you should follow these actions:
1. Establish why you are listening.
2. Recognize how you usually listen.
3. Be aware of who is the focus of attention.
4. Adapt the listening style to achieve conversational goals.
5. Ask: Am I missing something?
It seems a lot of steps, right?
We have good news: with practice, we can all become better listeners. Yes, it is a skill and with practice and enjoyment it can also become your facilitation art :)
Source and more info here: https://hbr.org/2022/05/whats-your-listening-style
