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The Transformative Power of Offering a Listening Ear with Jeff Hoffman

listening SUPERPOWER podcast

Release Date: 09/02/2023

We Are Not Good Listeners Just Because We Need To Be: What Kindergarten Kids Can Teach Adults  with Ingrid C. Nordli show art We Are Not Good Listeners Just Because We Need To Be: What Kindergarten Kids Can Teach Adults with Ingrid C. Nordli

listening SUPERPOWER podcast

Ingrid Nordli, Associate Professor in Linguistics at the UiT, the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø. Ingrid has been putting a lot of time into understanding how we develop listening skills. She talks about how young children in kindergarten can be trained to become great listeners using the listening circle. Besides dedicating time to focus on children's listening development, she teaches university students language development, and academic writing. She was on the board of the International Listening Association and continues to be an active member. In this episode, we dive deep into...

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listening SUPERPOWER podcast

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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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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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listening SUPERPOWER podcast

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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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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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listening SUPERPOWER podcast

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How can listening help organizations have impact on critical global issues, while understanding and acting upon local needs? This tension is the space our next guest leans into in order to understand the real needs and potential.

Jeff Hoffman is a Proven Public Affairs executive for The Walt Disney Company, the world’s most storied and admired media and entertainment enterprise. He currently leads The Conference Board’s Institute on Corporate Citizenship & Philanthropy, part of the ESG Center. He manages his own firm specializing in global corporate citizenship, ESG (environmental, social and governance), sustainability, philanthropy, and cause marketing. 

In this episode Jeff discusses the transformative power of offering a listening ear, which brings about magical experiences that enriches individuals' lives and has positive effects on their company and the community they're a part of. He also shares how he has navigated failures, challenges and successes, where listening or not listening well has played a role. Understand better how to have a bigger impact on global issues, yet adjust to the nuances of local needs.

"The important thing about listening is also to understand what you're hearing… really try to pull the facts out of what you're listening to." - Jeff Hoffman

Listening SUPERPOWER Notes:

00:33 - That time he experienced the power of listening by giving the people he talked to a magical listening experience

03:36 - What he realizes about the power of listening.

06:00 - Describing the corporate culture at Disney: You want your cast member to be the best and to bring out the richness of their own experiences into their role within the company.

12:13 - Understanding and recognizing everyone's differences: You have to understand where you are and what the needs are, and the differences.

20:35 - How he engages with the communities he serves in a manner that creates a powerful impact on them.

26:20 - Serving together to be effective: Habitat for Humanity International has done an amazing program where you can have volunteers volunteering with the people who are going to live in that home.

29:07 - Neighboring over volunteering

30:24 - Achieving the United Nations Sustainability Goals: It's all about coming together in community and collaboration and service.

35:32 - One important insight to understand about listening

Key Takeaways:

"... to understand differences, you need to talk to people, but you really need to listen and understand what they're saying."  - Jeff Hoffman

"We don't do a lot of telling now. We ask a lot of questions because we want you to tell us. We know (listening) is going to be more effective. And we're seeing that effectiveness where programs today are based on a lot of input from the people who are being served." - Jeff Hoffman

Notes/Mentions:

Connect with Jeff Hoffman: 

 

 

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