ACTIVE LISTENING WORKSHOPS

Become better listeners

Train your team to lead with empathy and
foster a culture of open conversation

Male and female colleagues engaging in conversation at shared desk space.

What is active listening?

When was the last time you truly felt understood? What did the person do or say that made you feel that way? How did your relationship with that person change after that conversation?

Active listening is a skill whereby the listener devotes their full attention to the speaker through verbal and non-verbal cues. In essence, it’s listening to understand, and not listening to respond.

Active listening will teach you how to:

Pay close attention to the way you listen and respond
Give your whole and undivided attention, free of distractions
Suspend judgement and bias
Pose reflective questions to help the speaker come to their own conclusions
Be empathic and seek to understand their position

The concepts of active listening are simple, but employing them takes a mindful approach and is a skill that takes practice to develop.

Why practice active listening?

People’s mental health and mood change significantly once someone has actually taken the time to listen to them.

In our day-to-day lives, whether at work or at home, we’re under constant stressors that are difficult to manage and sometimes we just need someone to listen without being told how to resolve those problems.

What people often mistake for a request for advice is actually a request for empathy.

Individuals know what is best for themselves better than anyone else. When the listener omits providing advice and instead actively seeks to understand the speaker’s challenges, they will immediately begin to see a change in their interpersonal relationships.

Male colleagues engaged in conversation in lounge

“To say that a person feels listened to means a lot more than just their ideas get heard. It’s a sign of respect. It makes people feel valued.”

— Deborah Tannen, Georgetown University

Benefits of active listening

When practiced, active listening holds many benefits for both the listener and the speaker, most commonly:

Building strong and trusting relationships
Identifying or anticipating problems and resolving them more easily
Avoiding missing important information and building more knowledge

In a work setting, listening with intent will usually translate into a positive experience for both the speaker and listener, fostering an empathetic employee culture that leads to better communication across the organization.

Ultimately, active listening empowers you amongst your peers, whether as a leader, an individual contributor, or member of the organization.

What we offer

Our active listening trainings provide you and your team with the skills necessary to listen with intent and make sure no voice goes unheard.

Our program has been developed over the course of 8 years with the help of mental health professionals and has been put into practice across the province. We’ve honed and refined this program to deliver the most actionable skillsets in an engaging and impactful format that is tailored to your needs.

Workshops can last anywhere between 30 minutes to 3 hours, per your preference, and can be done either in-person or online.