A Journey Into The Power of Storytelling with Mary Alice Arthur
Release Date: 08/14/2023
The Art of Listening and The Power of Humor: A Conversation Connecting Life Experiences with Cartoonist Dave Coverly
listening SUPERPOWER podcast
Imagine a cartoon opening a door to transform a challenging conversation into a productive and meaningful conversation in your team. In this episode, we explore how listening and observation can engage humor which can shift our mindset and enhance our ability to engage with others meaningfully. Dave Coverly is the award-winning creator of the internationally syndicated cartoon Speed Bump, featured in hundreds of publications including The Washington Post, The New Yorker, and The Globe & Mail. A four-time winner of the National Cartoonists Society’s “Best Newspaper Panel” award,...
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Becoming More Relevant with the Better Listening Method: The Power of Active and Systemic Listening in Media Organizations with Nanna Holst
listening SUPERPOWER podcast
In this episode of the Listening Superpower Podcast, we're joined by Nanna Holst to delve into how the media landscape's evolution, driven by new platforms, shifting consumption, and AI advancements, is swamping audiences with more information, but not necessarily more insight. We discuss how traditional media must transform, using active listening and engagement to stay pertinent as a bridge between the public and those in authority, as outlined in her insightful report. (Link below) Nanna Holst is an experienced journalist, editor and project manager with a demonstrated history of...
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Don’t Interrupt Listening! The power of listening presence to transform conversations with James Cook
listening SUPERPOWER podcast
What if our effort to listen well actually interfered with the power of listening itself? What happens when we let go and allow listening to be about presence, depth, and genuine human connection? In this episode, we’re joined by James Cook, a learning and development specialist in coaching and team development at a large global organization. With 28 years of experience in fast-moving consumer goods—spanning process development, supply chain, business optimization, and leadership—James has spent his career fostering growth and transformation. An ICF- and EMCC-accredited coach, he’s...
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Black History Month: Listening to History to Illuminate the Present with Dr. Ramona Houston
listening SUPERPOWER podcast
Have you ever felt unheard in a conversation? Or wondered why society seems more divided than ever? Historian and podcast host Ramona Houston joins us to reveal how radical listening can bridge cultural divides, resolve conflicts, and reshape history. Ramona Houston is a U.S. historian specializing in African American and Mexican American history. As we celebrate Black History Month, Ramona shares her insights on the power of listening and its impact on understanding history and resolving conflicts. In this episode, she highlights the significance of radical listening—truly...
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Moving Beyond Bikini Medicine: Bridging Health Care Gaps with Listening and Science to Transform Women’s Health
listening SUPERPOWER podcast
We all appreciate the dedication of healthcare providers. Yet, with only 10-minute appointments and research historically centered on men, the quality of care is impacted. Every day, countless women leave doctor’s offices feeling unheard, dismissed, or worse—misdiagnosed. Their symptoms are downplayed, their concerns minimized—especially with conditions like menopause and endometriosis, which often take years to diagnose. This doesn’t just affect women; it impacts their families and the men who support them. But what if there were a better way? In this episode of the listening...
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Quiet Works, Making Silence The Secret Ingredient of the Workday with Joe McCormack
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What if too much collaboration can hinder productivity? Our guest, author Joe McCormack, a communication expert who helps professionals navigate information overload, shares practical tips on how to balance collaboration with the essential quiet time needed for deep thinking. Joe McCormack is a communication expert who helps professionals navigate information overload. As an entrepreneur, he founded Sheffield Company and The BRIEF Lab, specializing in concise communication and leadership development. He's the author of "Brief," "Noise," and "Quiet Works," which address the...
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The Art of Asking Questions: Enhancing Communication Through Listening
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Curious about the art of asking questions? Mike discusses the importance of crafting the right questions and how they can lead to deeper connections. Dr. Michael W. Purdy (PhD Ohio University) is co–editor with Deborah Borisoff (NYU) of Listening in Everyday Life: A Personal and Professional Approach (2nd ed). He has authored articles for the International Journal of Listening, (including two articles in 2015). His publications include: Listening and Qualitative Research, in Listening and Human Communication in the 21st Century; Listening and the Non–Technologized Self in Cultura De...
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Code Switching in Listening: Adapting to Different Cultural Contexts with Elizabeth Parks
listening SUPERPOWER podcast
In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Liz, a respected voice in the realm of listening and cultural dynamics. Liz brings a unique perspective on how listening varies across different cultures and the importance of adapting our listening styles to foster deeper connections. Dr. Elizabeth S. Parks is an instructor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. An affiliate faculty with the Colorado School of Public Health. Dr. Parks' work is at the intersection of social science and the humanities and explores how we can improve listening across diversity and difference. Today, she has...
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Understanding the Power of Listening to Develop Your Prestige Influence as a Transformative Force
listening SUPERPOWER podcast
Are you tired of being just another leader? Want to inspire your team, drive innovation, and build lasting relationships? The secret lies in a skill you may have overlooked: listening. Effective leadership often hinges on a surprising skill that can go unnoticed: listening. Raquel Ark shares that listening isn't just a soft skill; it's a powerful skill that can shape how you lead and influence. Imagine leading a team that's motivated, engaged, and full of ideas. Effective listening fosters trust, respect, and a positive work culture. It's can play an important role in increasing productivity...
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The Magic of Empathy and Non-Judgement in Creating Safe Spaces with Sebastian Kremser
listening SUPERPOWER podcast
How can the power of empathy create deeper connections with others? And what are work hacks that create a safe space in teams? Sebastian Kremser is the host of Empathie Schenker, a podcast where he listens to guests with empathy and no judgment. Sebastian is a process facilitator who helps clients navigate dynamic and complex environments, addressing both current and future challenges. Known for his empathetic and needs-oriented approach, he creates space for individual and organizational needs while fostering awareness of personal responsibility and potential through structured process...
info_outlineStorytelling has captivated humanity since the beginning of time. It has the unique ability to transport us to different worlds, evoke emotions, and convey powerful messages. But storytelling is not just about entertaining and fascinating us; it is also about listening. By truly engaging with a story, we can gain deeper insights into ourselves and others, foster empathy, and broaden our perspectives.
Mary Alice Arthur is a Story Activist working with story in service of positive systemic shift and for focusing collective intelligence on critical issues. She guides people to find and activate the story that will take them into a larger and more authentic future. With story as an ally, people become the visionary leaders, changemakers and paradigm shifters they want to be. They know the story is their lens on the world and determines their agency. They have the knowledge and tools to change it for the better.
She is an internationally recognised process host, building capacity for people to bring their stories to life, and in practice for more than 25 years. She is inspired to work with large and small systemic stories holding keys for a more generative future. She is a steward of Art of Hosting, teaching participatory practice around the world, and co-creator of Collective Story Harvest methodology.
Mary Alice is the author of 365 ALIVE! Find your voice. Claim your story. Live your brilliant life. and hosts THE STORY DOJO, an online community focused on the power and practice of story. She works with individuals, communities and organizations around the world.
In this episode, my conversation with Mary Alice explores the how the superpowers of storytelling and listening are like the yin and yang. She shares stories that take us on a journey from being hired for jobs to shifting organizational culture and engaging employees in change projects.
"If you want to be a good storyteller, you have to be a good listener." - Mary Alice Arthur
Listening SUPERPOWER Notes:
00:24 - Sharing a moment in time when she becomes aware of the power of listening
02:52 - How curiosity allowed a listening experience to happen: This kind of curiosity feeds an inquiry about what's really going on or what really matters.
04:00 - Becoming a witness [withness] in a listening experience: I am inviting you to be with the storyteller, to be in service to the person who is speaking
05:59 - Understanding the power of withness: You can make somebody stronger or weaker in the power of your intention to them.
10:00 - What it means to be awake in an interaction between storyteller and listener: We create stories so that we could survive and we could thrive.
13:47 - The three waves of influence with which leaders use storytelling as a tool
19:00 - How to make people share their story and vulnerability: Somebody has to go first and it's a nice step for a leader to go first.
24:17 - A story that demonstrates the power of listening
27:34 - Re-energizing an organizational structure: Our listening and our storying can reawaken why we decided to say yes to the purpose that we're doing together.
31:41 - What you can get out of listening to one's self: If I really want to show up with my highest potential, I also need to listen to myself.
33:42 - Listening as love in action: You're important enough that I'm going to give you my full attention now.
35:31 - Sharing her experience of being listened to and seeing love in action
38:12 - How can I listen louder?
Key Takeaways:
"The business of stories is to be awake. And that can only happen with the power of good listening." - Mary Alice Arthur
The quality of the people in the audience is determining how they show up, not the other way around. It's interesting to realize the power you have as a listener, and to know that it's intrinsic to the communication, the interaction you're having."- Mary Alice Arthur
"The thing…about vulnerability is, uncomfortable does not mean unsafe. Sometimes getting on the edge of your comfort zone is exactly where you need to be."- Mary Alice Arthur
"We have a challenge, when we're leaders or when we're facilitators or when we're anybody who's in charge of something and in front of something, oftentimes we are never in it; listening asks us to be in it with somebody."- Mary Alice Arthur
"At the bottom of it all, listening is love in action. And if you intend it to be like that, people will feel that and more will come out of it."- Mary Alice Arthur
Notes/Mentions:
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Stephen Covey:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Covey
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David Huchens: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhutchens/https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhutchens/
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Momo by Michael Inde: https://www.amazon.com/Momo-Puffin-Books-Michael-Ende/dp/0140317538https://www.amazon.com/Momo-Puffin-Books-Michael-Ende/dp/0140317538
Connect with Mary Alice Arthur:
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Website: https://www.getsoaring.com
Connect with Raquel Ark:
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Mobile: + 491732340722
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Podcast email: [email protected]