Getting Started: Listen to Understand

In "Listen to Understand: Listening Practices for Product People," Roman Pichler says, “Listening . . . helps us build rapport, generate new insights, and make inclusive decisions. Unfortunately, we can be so busy updating and convincing others that we forget to attentively listen to the individuals we communicate with. This article shares 12 practical guidelines to help you reflect on and improve your listening habits and become even better at understanding others.”

Pichler, R. (2019, February 26). Listen to understand: Listening practices for product people. Medium. https://romanpichler.medium.com/listen-to-understand-listening-practices-for-product-people-d51a1849e56f 

Part I

1. You will meet in a breakout room with your partner(s). 

2. Together, read the list of 12 practical guidelines adapted from the article “Listen to Understand,” listed below,  and discuss your thoughts on each. Do you agree, disagree, or have a different take on each? 

Article excerpt:

Listen to Understand: Listening Practices for Product People

By Roman Pichler

Listening to users, customers, stakeholders, and development team members is crucial for product people. It helps us build rapport, generate new insights, and make inclusive decisions. Unfortunately, we can be so busy updating and convincing others that we forget to attentively listen to the individuals we communicate with. This article shares 12 practical guidelines to help you reflect on and improve your listening habits and become even better at understanding others.

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply,” wrote Steve Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It’s true: We often listen with a specific goal in mind, with the intention to reply, to share our perspective, or to convince the other person. As a consequence, we don’t pay full attention to what the other person is saying or filter what is being said; we only hear what supports our view. We obtain partial or selected pieces of information, which can cause us to draw the wrong conclusions and get the wrong end of the stick. To avoid these issues, start by taking a sincere interest in the individual and what the person has to say. Make a conscious effort to listen to understand, not to reply, correct, or criticize.

Twelve Practical Guidelines...

Listen to Understand, Not to Answer

Give the Other Person Your Full Attention

Listen for Facts, Feelings, and Needs

Stay Intentionally Silent

Listen with an Open Mind

Pay Attention to the Individual’s Body Language

Ask Clarifying Questions

Be Mindful of Your Own Emotions

Maintain Eye Contact

Don’t Interrupt the Other Person

Listen with Kindness

Don’t Take S***

3. Discuss together: Do you agree, disagree, or have a different take on each? 

4. Then, move on to the listening activity, “Tell me what you see” below, adapted from a firm in the UK. Be mindful of time so that you each have an opportunity to listen.

Part II

Tell Me What You See

As well as improving your listening, this exercise helps you develop the skill of asking questions and requesting information to clarify your understanding. 

1. Choose a volunteer who will take a pen and paper and be the first to draw, aka the drawer.

2. The drawer will ask their partner to choose an image from their phone, but not let the drawer see the image.

3. Without drawing, the drawer has up to four minutes to ask as many questions as desired about the image. The partner can answer them and describe the image. The goal for the drawer is to listen deeply to understand, forming a mental image and asking as many questions as needed..

4. Then, the drawer has two minutes to draw the image, based on what they heard.

5. After two minutes, stop and compare the drawing with the actual image. What went right? What went wrong? 

6. Switch roles and try it again! Keep going until time is up!