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Jun 21, 2021

 

Listening unites and connects us. Taking time to stop and listen to others, despite culture, race, sexual orientation, views, can create a deep human connection even when we have strong differences of opinions. 

The powerful transformation brought by listening is one of the simple changes the world never knew we actually needed. No limitations, no differences, just human connection and acceptance through listening.

Juliana Tafur is the creator of Listen Courageously, award-winning filmmaker of “List(e)n”, board member of the International Listening Association, and former Discovery networks content executive. She is convinced that listening to stories has the ability to change us. 

She has been on a listening journey since producing “List(e)n”, a documentary that brings together people on opposite ends of the spectrum to connect at a human level and transcend their differences. 

She’s the CEO of Story Powerhouse, and via award-winning films creates safe spaces for employees at organizations and academic institutions to share, listen to each other and learn skills to cope with today’s challenges.

“Listening is transformative. It's the most powerful thing that anyone can engage in. And it's so simple, but we don't know enough about it. And we are not given opportunities where we can engage in pure, deep, and sincere present empathetic listening.” - Juliana Tafur

Listen IN Notes:

00:33 - Julianna shares the first time she realized the importance and impact of listening

03:13 - What did Juliana do after noticing the undeniable power of listening?

04:21 - All about Juliana’s Listening Courageously Workshops and how it has influenced people

12:54 - Where does the feeling of satisfying relief come from after taking Juliana’s workshop?

14:57 - Juliana talks about communication boundaries and listening problems at an organizational level

17:24 - What do organizations and NGOs ask and what do they receive afterward?

22:22 - Juliana shares what drives her forward in pursuing listening and helping people to understand its powerful value

26:12 - Words to describe Juliana is bringing her whole self to her work

27:55 - The realizations and learnings of Juliana after creating a micro-universe that beautifully shares the power of listening 

30:23 - Juliana shares what she would love to understand more about listening

32:14 - Juliana talks about the common questions she’s been asked in workshops

36:29 - Juliana’s ideas and thoughts on how listening can be implemented or happen more in organizations

Key Takeaways:

“We connect at a human level with people, regardless of who we are, where we come from, and who they are, or what their story is.” - Juliana Tafur

“When we listen courageously, when we step out of our comfort zones and understand that at the end of that discomfort of, "You believe this. I believe that. We're never going to agree.” ...there might be a sense of relief when we stop to get to know each other.” - Juliana Tafur

“A lot of people don't think it's possible to connect across our divides and across our differences as people. And they are relieved, because we're all so tired of it, whether we want to recognize it, acknowledge it or not. We're just exhausted.” - Juliana Tafur

“(Listening) is more about creating spaces for people to voice concerns, to voice what they have gone through.” - Juliana Tafur

“We are all recognizing that we are not separate from what is happening around us.” 

- Juliana Tafur

“By creating spaces where people are sharing what has impacted them, we are opening the door for them to do the same when they go back to work. We are opening the door for people to acknowledge..."This has happened to me...because of the color of my skin or my race or cultural background." - Juliana Tafur

“We are actually suggesting that...those things that have shaped us and matter to us also inform what we bring to the workplace, the way that we see things, decisions, creativity. We bring solutions that we might contribute with passion, especially things that we care deeply about, because of what we have gone through or experienced in life.” - Juliana Tafur

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