A good conversation
In episode #51 of The Knowledge Project, Celeste Headlee (opera singer, radio journalist, public speaker, author) says that a good conversation is like a game of catch:
You can’t throw more than you catch. It’s a perfectly even balance between throwing and catching just like a good conversation should be a good balance of talking and listening.
In a friendly game, you think about the other person’s success. You throw the ball in a way that they can catch it. You set the other people up for success.
Headlee explains three levels of listening as:
- Evaluative listening: Just deciding whether the person is right or wrong
- Interpretive listening: You are trying to understand
- Transformative listening: You are willing to change your mind
