Listening Beyond the Words with Colin D. Smith

What changes when someone gives us the space to be heard? Jean Hamilton-Fford and Joanne Sprott welcome Colin D Smith, “The Listener” and host of Listening Matters, for a warm conversation about the attention we bring to one another. Together, they explore the space a pause can open and the difference between preparing a reply and staying present. Listening begins before the first word—and sometimes continues in silence. **About Colin** In a world full of noise, Listening Matters. Colin Smith is a listener, conversationalist and explorer of what becomes possible when we give one another our full attention. His work is less about teaching people how to listen and more about creating the conditions in which people can slow down, feel heard, think more clearly and discover what might emerge between them. Colin would love to explore what happens when we stop trying to fix, advise, teach or even get somewhere with another person—and simply meet them. He's increasingly curious about listening as a way of being rather than a skill: the role of presence, silence, not knowing, and what can emerge in the space between two people when neither quite knows where the conversation is going. He references a few things in this episode: **BOOK**: "Time to Think: Listening to Ignite the Human Mind" by Nancy Kline **BOOK**: "Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection" by Charles Duhigg **TED TALK**: Celeste Headlee: 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation (https://www.ted.com/talks/celeste\_hea...) We also talk about the group he hosts, Listening Matters. If you'd like to know more about that, please connect with Colin. **Connect with Colin** Website: https://dexteritysolutions.co.uk/ LinkedIn: /colindsmith1 **About Rooted Voices, Sacred Bones** *Rooted Voices, Sacred Bones* is a raw conversational podcast hosted by Jean Hamilton-Fford, Jillian Starman, and Joanne Sprott. Together, we explore the inner architecture of being human: voice, creativity, inner authority, memory, intuition, identity, and the deeper stories that shape the way we live, create, and lead. You can watch this episode on YouTube here: Rooted Voices Sacred Bones Podcast **About Jean** Jean Hamilton-Fford is an author, speaker, creative mentor, and host of *Rooted Voices, Sacred Bones*. She works with people and businesses at the threshold — the place where old identities, old strategies, and old ways of carrying life and work begin to fall away. Her work invites a return to clarity, voice, creative power, and a more honest relationship with becoming. **Connect with Jean** Website: https://jeanhf.com LinkedIn: Jean Hamilton-Fford | LinkedIn **Connect with Joanne** Website: https://joannesprott.com LinkedIn: Joanne Sprott | LinkedIn **Connect with Jillian** Website: Wise Women Leadership https://wisewomenleadership.com Podcast: The P.E.A.R. Project Podcast Welcome to the P.E.A.R Project LinkedIn: Jillian Starman, Ph.D. Jillian Starman, Ph.D. | LinkedIn