The Art of Active Listening

This session draws on Harvard Business Review research to challenge the conventional wisdom around listening. Most people believe that staying silent, nodding, and parroting back what was said makes them a good listener — but these habits can actually leave the speaker feeling dismissed. The session introduces the concept of 'trampoline listening,' an active, two-way interaction that gives the speaker's thoughts energy and amplification. Through six practical self-reflective questions, learners will examine their default listening style, clarify their purpose in each conversation, keep the focus on the speaker, ask deeper questions, silence their internal monologue, and — for those in leadership roles — break out of information bubbles. Real-world examples illustrate how subtle shifts in response language can dramatically change the quality of a conversation and the trust it builds.

Learning objectives

• Identify your default listening style — task-oriented, analytical, relational, or critical — and recognise when it may be limiting you
• Apply the six self-reflective questions to prepare for and improve the quality of any conversation
• Distinguish between passive listening behaviours and active trampoline listening techniques
• Craft follow-up questions that address both what is said and what may be left unsaid
• Recognise how internal monologue and personal insecurities block deep listening and practise quieting them
• Describe how senior leaders can detect and escape information bubbles by creating psychologically safe environments for honest feedback

Key takeaways

• Passive behaviours like nodding and parroting can make speakers feel unheard — active listening requires deliberate effort and skill
• Asking yourself 'Why do I need to listen right now?' helps you choose the listening mode best suited to what the speaker actually needs
• Keeping the focus of attention on the speaker, rather than redirecting to your own stories, signals genuine interest and respect
• Asking questions about what may be left unsaid demonstrates deep comprehension and encourages the speaker to share more openly
• Silencing your internal monologue — worries about how you appear or what you will say next — creates the mental space needed to truly hear someone
• Leaders who listen purely for comprehension, without agenda or judgment, and who build trust over hierarchy, are far less likely to be trapped in an information bubble