Listening to Understand

Hear Beyond the Words: Understand the Person.

LaShauna Austria
April 15, 2025

The Profound Impact of Listening to Understand

Listening isn't merely the act of hearing words; it's a deliberate effort to truly comprehend another person's thoughts and feelings. This involves actively focusing not only on their spoken words but also on the nuances of their delivery and nonverbal cues. It requires a conscious decision to temporarily set aside our own internal thoughts and biases to fully grasp their intended message and emotional state. When we prioritize this level of attentive listening, we create an environment where individuals feel genuinely understood and valued, significantly strengthening the bonds of connection between people.

The true power of listening to understand lies in its ability to unlock deeper levels of empathy and connection. By fully engaging with what someone is communicating, we begin to discern their underlying emotions, motivations, and needs. This enhanced understanding allows us to respond in a more thoughtful and meaningful way, whether by offering relevant support, providing helpful insights, or simply validating their experience. Ultimately, the commitment to listen attentively fosters stronger relationships, facilitates more effective communication, and cultivates a greater sense of empathy and mutual respect in all our interactions.

Education and Reflection

The power of focused listening in conflict resolution

According to The Myers-Briggs Company, managers spend at least four hours managing conflicts per week on average, with poor communication being the biggest cause of conflict. Yet, at the forefront of effective conflict resolution lies a frequently overlooked fundamental skill: focused listening.

In the Cornell Keynote webcast “Focused Listening: From Conflict to Collaboration,” Katrina Nobles, director of conflict programs, and Liz Davis-Frost, mediation and training extension associate, both from the Cornell University Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution, discuss how focused listening promotes interpersonal understanding and collaborative problem-solving.

The Power Of Listening

A recent article by Elle Kaplan defined effective listening as “giving your complete, intentional focus to what someone says, rather than what their words literally mean.” Effective listening requires active listening, which the University of the People defines as “a soft skill that directs the focus from what’s in your head to the words coming from the outside. By being able to focus on what another person is saying, you can understand needs and information more accurately.”

Active listening and empathy for human connection

How many times do you find yourself in a conversation with someone, waiting for the other person to stop talking so you can say what you want to say? Even further, you might then expect the other person to completely tune into what you are saying.

This common experience shows a lack of active listening, because you are only thinking about how you want to respond. You may as well be speaking different languages with the lack of understanding that results from this type of communication.

Offerings to Consider

Seeds of Change Consulting recognizes that truly effective communication and collaboration hinge on the ability to listen deeply and understand diverse perspectives. We work with organizations and individuals to cultivate these essential skills through tailored workshops, coaching, and community listening sessions. Our approach focuses on practical techniques for active listening, empathetic engagement, and creating inclusive spaces where everyone feels heard and valued. By fostering a culture of genuine understanding, Seeds of Change Consulting helps teams, leaders and communities build stronger relationships, navigate complex challenges more effectively, and ultimately achieve more meaningful and sustainable outcomes. We empower folks to move beyond surface-level interactions towards deeper connections and shared understanding, unlocking the full potential of their collective intelligence.

Service Highlights

Listen to Understand
It can be hard to keep meetings on track, particularly when implicit or explicit conflict is present. Using the Circle Meeting approach, we offer techniques that foster an environment for impartial meetings, focus on accomplishing goals, and lead to tangible outcomes. We assist with holding space for productive and impartial meetings, spanning from small-group interventions to large-group discussions. The prioritized focus rests on accomplishing goals and tasks within an agreed upon time frame to ensure desired outcomes and results. Racial Equity is always centered within our practices and techniques.

Restore Trust and Relationships
Conflict in the workplace or within relationships can be an opportunity for growth. However, without the proper skills and tools to navigate through difficult conversations, positive outcomes can be out of reach. Our team holds expertise with guiding the process to achieve resolution and a path forward for individuals and groups experiencing challenging situations.

Click here to set up a free consultation and learn about how our team can help.

Seeds of Change Happenings

Local Event

Kindred Seedlings Farm is hosting a community dinner to fundraise for Benevolence Farm's annual beach trip. This beach trip is often the first or first-in-a-long-time experience in nature for formerly incarcerated people who call Benevolence Farm home after prison and jail.

This year, Kindred Seedlings Farm wants to raise enough funds so that staff and residents can stay two nights, on the beach, with food and transportation included. Join us as we create healing opportunities with nature over a meal made with love.

Seeds of Change Wants to Hear from You!

Seeds of Change Consulting wants to hear from you! What topics, themes, or questions are you most interested in exploring in our upcoming newsletters? Your insights will help us create content that truly resonates with you and supports your journey towards positive change.

Orgs to Follow

The Loveland Foundation

We are so proud of the ways The Loveland Foundation has been to support Black women and nonbinary folks across the country through our core program, the Loveland Therapy Fund. In addition to receiving vouchers covering their therapy, Loveland Therapy Fund recipients continue to enjoy quarterly support groups, workshops, curated wellness resources and access to public programming.

White Antiracist Activists — Teaching While White

Antiracism for White people is a process of recognizing the impact of race as a system of oppression and engaging in practices, behaviors, and ways of being that disrupt racial discrimination. Racism advantages White people and disadvantages People of Color via inequitable systems of institutional power, authority, and violence.

"In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist."

Angela Davis

Seeds of Change Consulting

We are a diverse and passionate team of sector experts and rising stars, united by a shared commitment to social and economic justice. We are a community of professionals deeply dedicated to advancing racial equity, collective liberation, and transformative change.