What if listening could change everything? This raw and captivating episode with guest Avi Kluger reveals how listening and the “space between” people can unlock new ways of seeing, feeling and transforming, and profoundly reshape how we lead, connect and grow. 

A pioneering researcher in feedback and organizational behavior, Avi shares his personal journey to understand the power of listening and its potential to unlock unexpected depths in ourselves and others. Beyond theory, he shows us the real-world stakes of genuine human connection. In a world where productivity often overshadows humanity, this conversation is a call to reimagine our workspaces and relationships as places of connection, resilience and hope. 

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics

02:56 A Personal Journey: Growing Through Feedback

Avi reflects on his early life and how the intense feedback he received from his father shaped his career and lifelong dedication to understanding the impact of feedback.

08:06 Limitations of Traditional Psychology and Statistics in Understanding Interpersonal Dynamics

Avi discusses how his personal experiences led him to realize the limitations of traditional psychology and statistics in understanding interpersonal dynamics.

13:54 Creating Space for Change: Transformation Through Connection

Heidi and Avi discuss the “invisible space” between people during meaningful interaction—a dynamic that invites growth, fosters transformation, and becomes a unique shared experience.

22:43 The “Togetherness” That Opens Us

Avi introduces concepts like “positivity resonance” and “togetherness,” suggesting that growth occurs in a mutual space of connection, though such intimacy can be short-lived.

28:13 Feedforward vs. Feedback: A New Approach to Growth

Avi describes “feedforward” as a process focused on growth and exploration rather than judgment, contrasting it with traditional feedback that often triggers defensiveness.

33:42 Listening as Developmental: The Art of Being Present

Exploring methods for effective listening, Avi highlights the importance of being present and co-exploring with the other person, using specific questioning techniques to guide them in self-discovery.

Additional Resources 

• The Power of Listening in Helping People Change, Harvard Business Review
• Positive feedback: the science of feedback that actually works, Financial Times
• Listening, Not Feedback: A Powerful Way to Improve Well-Being and Performance, EdWeek