How can you encourage active listening during team problem-solving sessions?

1 Setting ground rules

Before you start a team problem-solving session, it is important to establish some ground rules that will help create a positive and supportive atmosphere. Ground rules are basic guidelines that everyone agrees to follow during the discussion. Some examples of ground rules are: listen without interrupting, respect different opinions, avoid personal attacks, and ask for clarification if needed. You can either propose some ground rules yourself or ask the team members to suggest them. Make sure to write them down and display them somewhere visible during the session.

2 Using the LARA method

The LARA method is a simple technique that can help you and your team members practice active listening during a team problem-solving session. LARA stands for Listen, Affirm, Respond, and Add. Listen means paying attention to what the speaker is saying and avoiding distractions. Affirm means acknowledging the speaker's feelings and emotions with expressions such as "I hear you" or "That must be frustrating". Respond means asking open-ended questions that invite the speaker to elaborate or explain their point of view. Add means sharing your own thoughts or ideas in a constructive and respectful way.

3 Providing feedback

Another way to encourage active listening during a team problem-solving session is to provide feedback to the speakers and the listeners. Feedback is a way of giving constructive and specific information about what went well and what could be improved. You can use feedback to praise the speakers for their contributions, to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of their arguments, and to suggest ways to refine their solutions. You can also use feedback to recognize the listeners for their attention, interest, and questions, and to remind them of the ground rules if necessary.

4 Summarizing key points

The last strategy to encourage active listening during a team problem-solving session is to summarize the key points of the discussion at regular intervals and at the end of the session. Summarizing is a way of reviewing and synthesizing the main ideas, arguments, and solutions that emerged during the dialogue. It can help you and your team members to clarify any misunderstandings, to identify any gaps or inconsistencies, and to reach a consensus or a decision. You can either summarize the key points yourself or ask a team member to do it. Make sure to check with the rest of the team if they agree with the summary and if they have any comments or questions.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?