Listening during a feedback session is no small task. It takes real effort and focus. This workshop instructs you on active listening, a necessary skill to give proper feedback.
Active listening requires that we be fully present, giving our complete attention to the writer and their work, not wandering off in our own heads. It’s all about the story before us, not how it connects to our experience.
Often, people have a storytelling mind, where hearing something prompts a narrative to develop in their brains. When the storytelling mind takes over, the focus moves from the story being read to the listener’s experiences and memories, which leads to little constructive feedback available to give.
Here are some tips to combat the storytelling mind:
- be present
- focus on the person reading
- give your full attention to the reader
- don’t be distracted by fiddling with your computer, phone, etc.
- look at the reader while he or she is speaking
- take notes if you can do so without missing what is read while you’re writing
- if you mind wanders off, gently bring it back to the reader
- pay attention to your body language
The author’s responsibility is to clearly state what kind of feedback he or she wants. The more specific the request, the better feedback you’ll receive. It is also the writer’s and the other feedback group members’ duty to guide the discussion back to its intended purpose if it wanders off.
If all feedback group members practice active listening, everyone will have better sessions.
We also discussed how to display your stories in Zoom during your feedback sessions. Here are the instructions for sharing your screen on Zoom.