The Power of Listening
Vuslat Foundation, in partnership with Sonder Collective, are actively trying to understand the benefits and application of a principle called ‘generous listening’ to foster genuine connections, empathy and true bonds. Generous listening is envisioned to be a tool to facilitate meaningful engagement among people as a means to solve wicked problems in the world.
Vini and I had the privilege of participating and contributing to the co-creation of a toolkit on generous listening. We indulged in three different sessions, which Brough together people from different expertise and backgrounds. Designers, students, entrepreneurs, psychologists, academics, storytellers and authors came together to explore the significance of listening. I was assigned to the groups discovering problems concerning the youth (aged 18 to 25), which in hindsight proved useful for the future of my research.
Session 1:
In the first session, we explored the different barriers to being a good listener. A few pertinent points of conversation that stood out to me will be discussed here. I was particularly interested in the concept of FOMO (fear of missing out), which is something so natural for youth to feel. With the pressure to perform and participate in our competitive world, we often might feel like we’re missing out if we’re not heard. The youth are overwhelmed with a focus on speaking or expressing their identity over listening. This can greatly affect the relationships and bonds we create, as perhaps the youth do not truly know the importance of listening, making it a time consuming and boring activity. Furthermore, in a world full of dichotomies, disagreements and misaligning opinions, it is so daunting to listen to opposing views. It feels unsafe to listen to someone that is against your point of view, and almost threatening. The discussions we had were so insightful, as I learned so much within the group itself. We were all listening to one another, and I was being treated equally in a group of well-established experts.
Session 2:
Session 2 began with a very interesting activity. We were given the choice of moving to a breakout room to express our feelings before we began the session. I entered a room which explored ‘Today, I feel really strongly about..’ I found myself with four other people and we all shared our anxieties and worries with transparency and vulnerability. A five-minute activity involving authentic conversations brought us so much closer and made us realise the power listening actually has. It brought strangers across ages and timezones together, in a way that connected them. The session was all about brainstorming and coming up with a number of ideas that the youth could implement to feel more heard. We explored ideas that turned FOMO into JOMO (joy of missing out). It was so interesting to explore how we could find liberation in solitude and spending time at peace with ourselves. It resonated with my personal beliefs of Buddhism as well as my meditative practice.
Session 3:
It involved fleshing out ideas and really describing the meat and bones of our challenge. We were made to think more critically of how a challenge would work to teach people to embrace JOMO and say yes to what is important to them. We worked together and came up with the structure with the help of a persona provided to us.
Reflection
The co-creation sessions were conceptualised, organised and conducted in an inspiring manner. The biggest takeaway for me is to conduct effective co-design sessions that energise the participants and nudge them to be creative and engaging. We were always encouraged to express our thoughts without inhibitions; which perhaps is the essence of generous listening! I was left determined to explore this topic further and passionate to work further with Damaris, Merve and Vuslat too.
As Shiela Shipley (2010) mentions,
“Listening is likely the most ancient of healthcare skills. It is a critical component of all aspects of nursing care and is necessary for meaningful interactions with patients.”
