1.4Communicating & practicing active listening
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Reflex #1: rephrase before answering — "if I understand correctly… is that right?".
- Open questions + silence: "how do you see next steps?", then leave 5 seconds of silence to surface the real cause.
- Adapt: you do not talk the same way to an expert, a beginner or senior management — adjust detail, tone and channel.
Running mini-case — 12-person SME in Algiers (continued)
Salim manages the same customer service team (Karim, Lina and Amine). In the Monday meeting, Karim flags overload: "I can't cope anymore, too many tickets". Salim's first reflex: answer fast and redistribute. Instead, he rephrases: "if I understand correctly, you spend your days on tickets without being able to handle substantive work, is that right?". Karim confirms, then, prompted by an open question and owned silence, reveals the real cause: a double entry between WhatsApp and the tracking board. Not a lack of effort — a routing problem.
This same case returns in the course, the diagram, the script and the 48h challenge.
1. Listening to understand, not to reply
Managers spend most of their time communicating: informing, explaining, listening, correcting, uniting. Clear communication prevents most team problems.
Yet communicating well starts with listening well — and active listening means listening to understand, not to reply. Think doctor: he listens to symptoms before prescribing. Salim facing Karim: if he "prescribes" too fast (redistributing tickets), he misses the diagnosis (the double entry).
2. Concrete tools: rephrasing, questioning, staying silent, adapting
Rephrase to check understanding, ask open questions ("how do you see it?"), let silence do its work, then adapt your message to the person (expert, beginner, management).
A team member who feels heard engages; a manager who listens picks up weak signals, defuses tensions and decides better informed. With Karim, 3 minutes of real listening avoided a bad decision.
🔎 Concrete example — Rephrasing before reacting (Karim's case)
Karim: "I can't cope anymore, too many tickets".
Salim (rephrases): "if I understand correctly, you spend
your days on tickets without handling substantive work, is that right?"
Karim: "exactly, and on top of that we enter everything twice…"
Salim (open question + silence): "how do you see next steps?" [5-s silence]
→ real cause: WhatsApp / board double entry.Result: more engaged team members and better-informed decisions.
Lesson: rephrase + open question + silence before any decision.
Section vocabulary reinforced definitions
- Managerial communication
- All of a manager's exchanges (inform, explain, listen, unite): the heart of the job.
Simple example: Salim announces the direction, listens to Karim in a meeting, then explains the decision and next steps.
What it is not: sending an evening WhatsApp message hoping it will be understood.
Reflex: for each key message: say it, have it rephrased, write down next steps.
- Active listening
- Listening with the intent to fully understand the other person, showing it, before reacting.
Simple example: look at Karim, nod, do not interrupt, then rephrase.
What it is not: waiting your turn while preparing your answer as the other person speaks.
Reflex: no answering within 5 seconds after — rephrase first.
- Rephrasing
- Saying back in your own words what you understood, to check and show you got it.
Simple example: "if I understand correctly, double entry costs you one hour a day, is that right?".
What it is not: repeating word for word like a parrot, or interpreting ("you are demotivated").
Reflex: end every rephrasing with "is that right?".
- Open question
- A question inviting expansion ("how?", "what do you think?"), which opens dialogue.
Simple example: "how do you see next steps?", "what would help you most?".
What it is not: "are you OK?", "are you done?" — closed questions calling for yes/no.
Reflex: one open question at a time, then silence.
- Adapting (your message)
- Adjusting your words (detail level, tone, channel) to the person and situation.
Simple example: technical detail with Karim the expert, short impact version with senior management.
What it is not: the same copy-pasted speech for the beginner, the expert and the customer.
Reflex: before speaking, ask "who am I talking to and what do they need?".
In practice — Strengthening communication and listening
- In your next exchanges, rephrase what the other person says before answering or deciding ("if I understand correctly… is that right?").
- Replace your closed questions with one open question ("how do you see the situation?").
- Dare silence after an answer: count 5 seconds, it invites deeper thinking.
- Adapt your message: expert, beginner or management are not addressed the same way — adjust detail, tone and channel.
Ready-to-say script — rephrasing with Karim (1 min)
"Karim, if I understand correctly, you spend your days on tickets because of double entry, and you have no time left for substantive work — is that right? [let them answer] How do you see next steps? [5-second silence, do not fill it]"
Say it calmly, looking at the person, without interrupting. Let silence do its work even if it feels uncomfortable.
Copy-paste template — 10-min listening interview frame
10-MIN LISTENING INTERVIEW — frame
1. FACTS (2 min): "Concretely, what is happening?" [listen, rephrase]
2. FEELINGS (2 min): "And you, how do you experience it?" [silence, do not minimize]
3. NEED (3 min): "What would you need to move forward?" [open question]
4. ACTION (3 min): "What do we concretely do by [date]? Who does what?"
END: rephrase the agreement in 30 s + write it down (WhatsApp / board).Micro-business (2-3 people)
No formal meeting: 10 min over coffee, facts / feelings / need / action frame in a notebook. Rephrasing out loud is enough.
Remote / hybrid
Camera on, mic muted while the other person speaks, rephrase in chat to keep a trace ("if I understand correctly: …"). Own silence even more on video.
Algerian SME
Account for real channels (phone + WhatsApp, not email only), peaks (Ramadan, summer) and face to face: in-person listening beats three voice notes.
Intercultural
Adapt direct / indirect: some will not dare contradict — ask the open question in private, rephrase without judging, make clear disagreement is welcome.
✓ Best practices
- Rephrase before answering or deciding.
- Favour open questions and silence.
- Adapt your message to the person.
✗ Common pitfalls
- Listening to reply rather than to understand.
- Firing closed questions that shut dialogue down.
- Corporate speak when news is hard.
Key takeaways
- Managers spend most of their time communicating.
- Communicating well starts with listening well (active listening).
- Tools: rephrasing, open questions, silence, adapting.
- A team member who feels heard engages; share hard news clearly and early.
48h challenge — apply tomorrow
Do 3 rephrasings ("if I understand correctly… is that right?") before answering, and own 1 5-second silence after an open question. Note what it revealed (real cause? defused tension?). 10 minutes is enough.
- I systematically rephrase before answering or deciding.
- I ask one open question then own the silence.
- I did the 48h challenge or scheduled its date.
Frequently asked questions
Does active listening take too much time for an overloaded manager?
No: it is an investment. A few minutes of real listening (rephrase + open question + silence) prevent misunderstandings, mistakes and tensions that would cost far more. A team member who feels heard is more autonomous and more engaged — management's best return on invested time.
How do I share hard news with my team?
Clearly, honestly and early, with no corporate speak. Explain the "why", acknowledge the impact, leave room for reactions (rephrase them), then state next steps. Transparency builds trust; spin destroys it.
In a meeting, Karim looks tense: "I can't cope anymore, too many tickets". Best reflex?