How to Listen So People Can Think

Attention

Listening without interruption and with interest in where the person will go next in their thinking

To receive attention from others, with a promise of no interruption,
is a profoundly affirmative experience. It enables
the thinker to generate new thinking – thinking that
would otherwise not be possible.

Attention is a foundational component of a Thinking Environment: without it, nothing works.

Your attention enables others to think for themselves

The better you are at giving your full, interested attention,
the fewer times you will need to say anything.

Just because people have stopped talking,
it doesn't mean that they have stopped thinking. 

Know that you are contributing, even though you are not saying anything.

Stop interrupting

Interruption does to thinking what just happened to that vase.

Interruption is part of our culture, but we experience it as an act of violence. It damages relationships, diminishes people, and prevents clear and creative thinking.

To improve relationships and thinking, stop interrupting. 

To be interrupted is bad.
To get lucky and not be interrupted is better.
But to know we will not be interrupted
allows us truly to think for ourselves.
– Nancy Kline

Spot the missing component

To create a full Thinking Environment, all components need to be present. When you have a sense that the Thinking Environment is not what it should be, here are some things to look out for.

  • Is the venue safe from interruption or is there distraction from, for instance, external noise or people walking past?

  • Are listeners fully focused on the person thinking?

  • If electronic devices are in the room (best not) are they on flight mode and out of sight? (Research is clear: even when they are not being used, they attract part of our attention, which detracts from learning, memorising, performance and even enjoyment of social occasions).

If Attention is not fully present, how can you restore it?