“Taking a Conversation Deeper”

Each Saturday, Freedom Center students carry out four classes in Nonviolence Leadership via video conference. They prepare for their weekly Leadership Seminars. This Saturday, Jayda Gray (age 15), Jennifer Hernandez (age 14), and Jennifer Tran (age 16) developed this presentation based on their Freedom Center studies to prepare their peers in how to carry out a Leadership Seminar….

“Taking a Conversation Deeper”

Why is it important that we have deep, meaningful conversations?

1. It is important that we have deep meaningful conversations because it lets the other person know you are listening to them and you are engaged.
2. We receive more information that you can apply into our lives. Which helps everyone grow and develop a higher consciousness.
3. When we have deeper conversations, we put the fear of not being understood, the fear of being proven wrong, and the fear of upsetting someone to the side. (These are often irrational fears.)

Key points in having deeper conversations:

● Dive into a variety of deeper topics, not only one topic. Ex: Don’t only stay on the topic of struggles that the speaker overcame and how they overcame it, but also introduce a topic like how relationships helped them grow and what advice do they give us on making strong relationships.
● Stay present in the moment.
● Pay attention to their body language and personal background. Ex: When the speaker gives us background information about their life, we can ask a question about what we know about them, based off of their life experience(s).
● Ask follow up questions. Some examples are: Can you give us an example? Can you elaborate on that?
● If you agree with something the speaker says, state that you agree, then ask a question.
● Ask for stories, not examples.
● DO NOT STICK TO A SCRIPT. Every speaker is different and, therefore, we should ask them all a variety of questions.
● Ask for advice.

How to show that we’re listening by being present:

● It’s not enough to be a good listener, we also need to show that we are present. When we do, people dare to open up more and your conversations become more meaningful.
● Stay focused. If you realize that you’re thinking about what to say when the other person is done talking, move your attention back to what they’re saying.
● Maintain eye contact at all times when someone is speaking.
● Give feedback by saying “umhm”, “yeah”, and or something else similar.

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