Prep for Empathic Listening – Bob Ewing
SPN Webinar on August 19
1. Watch: 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation (11 min)
Note: Celeste Headlee is an accomplished broadcast journalist. She covers a lot of ground in this short talk. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it during the webinar. What do you agree with? Disagree with? Why? How do these apply to work at SPN?
(Principle #1: Give your full attention.)
2. Watch: The Gratitude Letters (7 min)
Bonus Exercise: Set a timer for five minutes. Write down the most important people in your personal and professional life. (You won’t have to share!) Stop when time ends.
(Principle #2: Always make the other person feel important.)
3. Watch or read: This is Water. (20-min video, 10-min script)
Note: This is the infamous commencement address by David Foster Wallace to Kenyon College. DFW was among the most insightful philosophers of the late 20th century. This is worth returning to and reflecting on often. It’s a modern masterpiece that will survive for generations.
(Principle #3: Work to build simple awareness. It’s the foundation for everything important.)