Active Listening Improves Business Connection Instantly
- Victoria Hogg
- Feb 3
- 2 min read
Pssst! |
Hey, listen up! Wanna know something? When you’re speaking and you feel like you’re being actively listened to, the speaker’s brain releases pleasure-related neurotransmitters. Result? The speaker feels more positively about the listener and the listener, in turn, feels that they’re listening to someone more credible and competent. Meaning active listening promotes mutual trust and synchronised empathy. Wanna know something else? Active listening creates a safer space, reducing social anxiety and defensiveness. Result? Everyone is more likely to open and share more deeply and truthfully. Meaning there’s a ‘trampoline effect’ as listeners stop being mere sponges and become amplifying energisers - enhancing the sense of collaboration. Wanna know a third thing? Leaders who are great active listeners are more trusted than those who are not, by a whopping 70 percent, while doctors who have never been sued literally spend more time listening. Meaning your credibility as a professional isn’t just about talking the talk - it’s about listening the listen, too. Now read on. 👇 |
Four Speaker Archetypes, One Giant Stage Presence
TRY IT OUT! 💘 Our weekly tip, from applied improv to you.
Good Morning, My Guy!
Objective: To improve listening skills in a truthful way.
How It Works: Agree with someone you'll pretend to 'wake up' next to each other in bed. On a 'three, two, one', open your eyes and look at each other. The characters, relationship and circumstance is decided in the moment from that honest 'first look'.
Reflection: What did you see in that scene partner's eyes? Were you able to really hear what the other person was saying?
Download: Good Morning, My Guy!
Something switched...
We ran a little S.W.a.L.K session this week and it was so successful. Participants were giving it everything; switching energies and archetypes like nimble gazelles at sun-up on the savannah.
What’s really noticeable is how subtle the changes can be and still be noticeable. It doesn’t take much to keep an audience involved and invested. A little practise goes a long way.
We got such great feedback, including: “The use of tonality is a whole world to explore!” and “It’s making me think more about vocabulary and body language and how much more I can play with it”.
Vic and Paul
