Effective Listening

Course details

Listening is a critical competency, whether you are interviewing for your first job or leading a Fortune 500 company. Surprisingly, relatively few working professionals have ever had any formal training in how to listen effectively. In this course, communications experts Tatiana Kolovou and Brenda Bailey-Hughes help you master the art of active listening to accelerate your professional growth and build stronger workplace relationships. Discover how to spot hidden concerns, ask insightful questions, and manage distractions. Learn strategies that improve your focus and help you make better decisions, whether you’re navigating high-stakes conversations, collaborating virtually, or embracing new AI tools. Through real-world examples and interactive exercises, this course can help you develop the listening techniques that top performers use to build influence and drive results.

Learning objectives
Evaluate your personal listening habits to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
Apply techniques to uncover unspoken concerns and foster alignment in conversations.
Manage distractions and use AI tools to stay engaged and enhance note-taking.
Ask powerful questions and summarize effectively to support strategic decision-making.
Demonstrate empathy and adapt listening strategies for both in-person and virtual settings.

Concepts

Introduction

Listening as a career superpower

Situational Listening

Reflect on your listening habits

Listening When Emotions Are High

Listen to spot unspoken concerns and messages
Pause - Stay grounded during charged conversations
Listen to diffuse defensiveness
Pro Tip - Listen to build alignment with stakeholders

Listening through Boredom and Overload

Manage attention and distraction while listening
Take smart notes to engage while listening
Ask questions that sharpen understanding
Pro tip - Don't hear what you expect

Listening to Make Decisions

Listen for the big picture to make strategic decisions
Ask sharp questions to vet ideas
Summarize to drive alignment
Pro tip - Listen for the outlier to find the best idea

Listening to Build Connection

Talk less to connect more
Listening when words are hard to hear and understand
Listen with empathy
What empathetic listeners don't say
Listen well in virtual meetings

Conclusion

AI as your listening coach
30-day listening challenge