Active Listening (Zhong Han)

Individual Reflection:

>Do you ever find yourself speaking up too soon?
Yes.

>If so, how can you clear your mind to fully listen?

To clear your mind, you must erase all thoughts of what you are going to say, or your judgement or opinion. You must focus on getting as much information from the listener as possible.

>Do you ever find yourself wanting to jump in because you are eager to share?
Yes. I might have something to strongly protest if I disagree.

>How can you channel your excitement into listening and wait for the proper opportunity to share?
You must calm yourself down and force yourself to absorb as much information as possible.

>What else can you do to prepare for conversations with others?

You can signal to them to let them show that you are listening. For example, you can nod, respond with a simple 'uh huh', provide feedback, etc.

>Can we ask them up front what they are looking for? (advice, a sounding board, solutions)

No. We must wait for them to finish in order to avoid them getting the full message through.

>How does it make you feel to be cut off in the middle of your thought?

It feels upsetting, because it feels like they do not care about what you are about to say and just put what they are about to say over yours.