BPO: A Listening Exercise

How many of us think we are good listeners?

Here's an exercise you can do with a partner or with 2 or 3 other people. Larger groups can be broken up into pairs or small groups of 3 or 4, with debriefing steps taken as a large group.

1. Choose one person in the group to be the "Speaker." The rest of the group are considered "Listeners." The Speaker will only be speaking to their little group and not have to speak to the entire room.
2. The role of the Speaker is to talk for 2 minutes about a subject the Facilitator announces. Listeners must do exactly that - LISTEN, and that is all! No note-taking, no asking questions. Don't bother trying to memorize details, because there won't be a quiz. So just listen and watch and try to enjoy the Speaker's story. I suggest everyone take a relaxing breath before the exercise begins.
3. Round 1: The Speaker will talk to their small group about the most challenging part of their day. (2 minutes)
4. After Round 1, debrief (as a larger group, if that's the case) and discuss the challenges of listening.
5. Round 2: The Speaker will talk to their small group about their dream vacation. (2 minutes)
6. After Round 2, debrief (as a larger group) with the following questions:

• Which presentation was easier to stay attentive to? Which presentation did Listeners relate to more?
• How hard did Listeners have to work to keep listening?
• Which was the easier topic for Speakers to talk about?
• Since you could not take notes or ask questions, what did Listeners find themselves doing mentally? Trying to track details or chronology? Trying to keep their minds focused on the Speaker?
• What else did you learn from doing this exercise?

You can vary this exercise by rotating the Speaker role to someone else in the small group and using new subjects for the Speaker to present on. You can allow Listeners to take notes in another round, then ask questions in another round, then debrief on what notes were taken and questions that were asked and why Listeners think these were the notes and questions of interest.