Here’s the outline for the Deep Listening practice I did today with my First Year Seminar Class.

Deep Listening

“To listen to another’s soul into a condition of disclosure and discovery may be the greatest service that any human being ever performs for another.” Douglas Steere (Quaker author)

Questions (you pick one that you feel you can talk about for at least a few moments. Pick which one you feel interested in sharing about).

  1. What is one challenge in life you have faced and how did you overcome it? What did you learn from the experience?

  2. Talk about the pets you’ve had in your family—or, if you haven’t had any, the pets you wished you had. How did they come into your family, what has your connection been, what have you learned from them, etc? (Via Damon Akins)

  3. What’s a problem you’d like to solve in the world? Why do you care about it? What are ways you are interested in work on that problem?

Outline of Practice

1 min - take a min to pick your question and think of a response 3 mins - Share - try to use all the space 1 min - Listener can ask one open-ended question or a follow-up question 1 min - Time for response 1 min - Listener offers an affirmation

Guidelines for Listener

  • Be still and listen
  • Try to not draw any attention to yourself with your responses
  • Make eye contact
  • Remain engaged in your listening

Debrief Notes

After process take some time to talk about the experience and how it was for folks.