Fathers Day Australia 2021

A different kind of thinking around aged care, allowing folk to stay in their own homes and be cared for in a more genuine way than just having a nurse pop in every so often.

Technology provides us with wonderful opportunities to connect as people, families, businesses and communities.  

Yet technology can cause us to hear more and listen less all at the same time if we are not intentional about our use of technology. Technology is a wonderful gift which enables us to listen to conversations we would never of had. 

But let’s be careful the noise of technology does not prevent us from listening to conversations we could have had.

As listeners we all have listening filters. Listening filters impact what messages reach us as listeners and in what way we interpret those messages. Learning to recognise and manage our own listening filters can dramatically improve our listening abilities. 

Good listening involves becoming aware of our own filters and how our listening filters enhance, muffle or modify the messages we hear.

Great listening does not start with the position of our ears, it starts with the position of our attitude. 

When we have an attitude which values others, it motivates us to listen well. 

A humble and respectful attitude is foundational to effective listening. Likewise, a healthy listening attitude is gentle and warm in tone towards the speaker

Great listening does not start with the position of our ears, it starts with the position of our attitude.

When we have an attitude which values others, it motivates us to listen well. 

A humble and respectful attitude is foundational to effective listening. Likewise, a healthy listening attitude is gentle and warm in tone towards the speaker

Non-verbal body language can have a tremendous influence on conversations.

As listeners, we have the opportunity to be generous in our body language. 

This allows us as listeners to foster an environment which is welcoming and supportive of the speaker.

One of the most powerful attributes we can bring to healthy communications is to become generous listeners. 

Generous listening is far from being a passive process. 

Instead, a generous listener can influence the success, direction and outcome of each communication interaction. By giving our best to listening we can empower the best in those speaking to us. 

Now that’s generous listening

We all have a story and we all have a heart. 

Effective listening appreciates the story, which is being told, great listening listens to the heart of the person living out their story. 

If we limit ourselves to just listening to words and don’t train ourselves to listen to the heart, then it can be like listening to surface details and not the core issue.

Listening to the heart promotes connection and understanding whilst at the same time reduces division and conflict.

Great listening is not just the process of listening to facts. 

Great listening involves appreciating the story that is being told by the speaker. When I appreciate the story, I value the person telling the story and I am interested to go on the journey of exploring what the story being told represents and means to the speaker.

Listening to the story occurs when we start to see meaning in what’s being said and not just details.