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Being a good listener is a important skill. Do you think listening is important– why? How can you tell if someone is listening to you (i.e. nodding) or NOT listening to you (i.e. talking at same time, fidgeting)? How does that feel? One way to show that we are listening is by paraphrasing. Does anyone know what that means? It’s when we repeat back what someone says but not in the exact same words. If someone told you; “I am upset; I went to school and my friend wasn’t nice to me. She ignored me.” You could paraphrase it and say, “It really hurt you when your friend ignored you.” You can then show empathy by saying: “I’m sorry that happened to you.” Try to paraphrase these: (1) I walked into the house and everyone yelled surprise! I was shocked! (2) I get scared I’ll mess up when trying something new. When we paraphrase, it shows listening. Then we can empathize.

If you have time: As a leader, how can show someone you are listening to them (i.e. look, nod, paraphrase)?