I am working on the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Update project this term with the Community Planning Workshop. A major component of the project involves meeting regularly with regional stakeholders with the main focus of these meetings being stakeholder participation. The data collected from these meetings is important information, as it will frame how the goals and objectives for the CEDS will be refined and affirmed from the previous CEDS. A key tool for successful meeting facilitation is a communication technique called active listening. Active listening is tool that promotes open communication, helps resolve conflicts, limits misunderstandings, and builds trusts among participants.

Reflective Feedback – a key component

A key component of active listening is providing reflective feedback. Reflective feedback summarizes or paraphrases what the speaker said and why it is important to the group. This type of interaction helps participants build relationships within their group and keeps communication open and easy.

I noticed in our first meeting that by rephrasing a speaker’s ideas and intent each participant felt that their concerns and priorities were being heard and would be incorporated into a final CEDS product. Using this technique I also noticed that it helped set the tone of the meeting and laid a foundation for clarity and understanding. Without being prompted, participants were naturally using reflective feedback as a way to communicate with each other. Such a natural response to the technique meant the meeting did not feel forced and the conversations evolved organically.

Why it works

Active listening works because it makes it easier to see the world through others’ eyes, giving us the potential to gain deeper insight and understanding into the assumptions that other perspectives adopt in their decision making process.

About the Author: Blake Helm is a Master’s in Community and Regional Planning student. In another life he spent his time as a rock-star slinging coffee and cake at a local bakery. Nowadays he spends most of his time keeping his 10-month-old daughter alive and writing memos.