Learning to Listen - Making the Most of Each Connection

We often hear that listening is an art. But how often do we truly practice it? Covve’s February Joyful Masterclass for Connection Professionals provided a space where listening to each other was a fundamental part of each activity. It focused on sharpening the tools we already have, refining our connection skills, and transforming the way we interact with others.

Led by an incredible line-up of panellists, the Masterclass reminded us that listening goes far beyond hearing words. Truly listening enables us to create spaces for vulnerability, empathy, and genuine presence. Each of the panellists guided participants through a series of exercises designed to bring them closer to this kind of authentic connection.

Here’s a glimpse into the insights they shared and how we can apply them in our own lives.

The Volley of Conversation with Lia James

Creating safe, inclusive conversational spaces

The concept of The Volley of Conversation revolves around the often overlooked idea that true conversation requires both curiosity and respect. Too often, we focus on the next thing we want to say instead of truly listening to the other person.?

Lia James, Founder of &Human, led participants through an exercise that combined curiosity with a deep respect for different personalities in conversation, whether the storyteller, who doesn't ask questions but trusts others will share when ready, or the questioner, who asks but doesn’t share because they don’t feel invited to.

Lia emphasized that it’s okay to say, “I’d rather not share that right now,” and that boundaries are just as vital to the conversation as the words being spoken. The goal was to create space for both parties to feel comfortable enough to choose how much they share, ensuring that the conversation flows in a true back-and-forth nature.

How to Practice It:

1. Use a prompt that you and your activity partner can share a story about.
2. Listen to your activity partner and allow space for them to share as much as they feel comfortable sharing.
3. Lean into curiosity. React and feel free to ask questions.
4. Switch roles and share your own story with your partner.

Empathy and Reflection with Dané Johnson

The quiet power of being truly present

Dané Johnson,? Founder at Dané Johnson Collaborations and Senior Organizational Health Consultant at sr4 Partners, introduced an activity that revolved around something deceptively simple: listening without responding. It sounds easy, but many of us struggle to withhold advice when someone opens up. Dané invited participants to practice a form of silent empathy, one where the listener’s role isn’t to fix but simply to be present.

Participants shared emotional experiences with their activity partner, but only the feelings, not the details. The goal was to strip away the distractions and focus solely on the emotions in the room. It’s an exercise in presence, reminding us that sometimes, simply being there for someone is the most powerful form of connection.

How to Practice It:

1. Find someone you trust and ask them to share an emotional experience with you, focusing only on the feelings involved.
2. Listen as they share their emotions, offering nothing but your presence.
3. After they’ve spoken, instead of responding with advice, simply say, “Thank you for sharing that with me,” and reflect on how it felt to both give, and receive, such empathy.
4. Switch roles with your activity partner, share your experience with them, and reflect on the empathy shared and the connection created.

The Power of Presence with Cole Johnson

Learning to be fully present in every interaction

Cole Johnson, known for his work as a Human Connection Alchemist and founding member of The Octopus Movement, led an exercise that was profoundly moving. Paired up with their activity partners, participants were asked to choose a single word that best described the other person’s presence. After sharing their words, participants then sat in complete silence for a full minute. No words. No movement. Just stillness.

The lesson here was more than the silence itself. It was in the moment of pure, unmediated presence with another person. It’s easy to become distracted, to let our minds wander during conversations, but Cole reminded us that true connection happens when we drop all distractions and are fully there with the human being we’re interacting with.

How to Practice It:

1. Pair up with a partner and, after a brief conversation, choose one word that captures their presence. Explain why the word was chosen, and ask if it resonates with your activity partner.
2. Sit together in complete silence for one minute. No talking, no checking phones. Just be.
3. Reflect on how the silence felt, using it as a way to ground yourselves in the present moment.

Trust Reset with Hansen Hunt

Rebuilding trust through accountability

Though not one of the panellists, Covve’s Community Lead and Masterclass facilitator, Hansen Hunt’s activity on trust reset was a central part of the masterclass’ teachings. Trust is fragile, and sometimes can be broken unintentionally. Rather than allowing those moments of misstep to sour relationships, Hansen guided us through a structured process for acknowledging and rebuilding trust. The idea was not about apologizing. Instead, it was about taking actionable steps toward making things right and claiming accountability as a team member.

How to Practice It:

1. Participants were asked to think about a recent commitment they couldn’t keep and reflect on its impact on both them and others involved in that commitment.
2. Participants then shared this reflection with their activity partner, openly acknowledging what happened without defensiveness.
3. The idea then is to commit to a small but meaningful step to rebuild trust, such as setting reminders or asking for support, and following through.

February’s masterclass with Covve’s Connection Crew shed light on theories and frameworks but also enabled participants to experience “doing the work”. Exploring exercises that tested our capacity to listen, empathize, and be present. Every activity was designed to help enhance the way we approach forging connections with others.

If we want to make the most of every interaction, we must first learn how to listen. Not just to the words but to the silence, the emotions, and the moments of vulnerability in between. It’s in these spaces that we find the true power of connection. And that’s what makes the most of every connection we make.