Social · 8 min
Five Minutes of Full-Attention Listening
Give the other person five full minutes of attention with no interruption or advice, then summarize what you heard.
Goal
Build immediate trust in a professional or personal relationship by giving the other person a rare experience: being heard without interruption and without your waiting to speak.
Steps
  1. Ask explicitly: "May I have five minutes to listen without replying?" Pre-agreement primes the space.
  2. Put your phone out of sight. Angle your body 30 degrees (direct face-off can feel threatening).
  3. Listen for a full 5 minutes. No interrupting, advising, finishing sentences, or "Yes, but...".
  4. If they pause, wait seven seconds before speaking. They'll often continue with more depth.
  5. After 5 minutes, summarize in 3-4 sentences starting with "What I heard you say is...". Don't add your opinion.
  6. Ask: "Did I capture what you wanted to say? What did I add or miss?" Verify rather than assume.
What did the other person say today that they wouldn't have said if you hadn't stayed silent?
زينها براكتس · pra.zayenha.com soc-listening-003