Listening Guidelines
- Assume Positive Intent
- Embrace a mindset that talking will turn into something good
- Put aside your own judgements, viewpoints, and bias to focus on what the person actually means and recognize that you might not know the person’s true intent or what she/he has experienced.
- Engage in Dialogue NOT debate
- Dialogue is open-ended- you express your experiences and learn from other’s experiences
- Be open to being challenged
- Shared learning is the goal- not winning
- Hold Yourself & Others Accountable for Demonstrating Cultural Humility
- Pause for self-reflection and to analyze your assumptions, behaviors, and experiences
- Role model this behavior to others
- Be Open, Transparent, & Willing to Make Mistakes
- Honest communication is a skill to be developed
- Accept the fact that you will not always say the right thing
- Embrace the Power of Humble Listening
- Put your own ego, assumptions, and viewpoints aside to learn from someone else’s experience
- Create Trusting & Safe Spaces- Where a Little Bit of Discomfort is Okay
- Admit that sharing perspectives might involve taking a risk and that it might be uncomfortable
- Commit to Having Conversations That Matter By Speaking Up To Bridge Divides
- Be willing to speak up as a Champion for inclusion when you witness difficult situation or exclusionary behaviors, bias, and/or discrimination