Designing for Active Listening

“Go into any meeting in any company, and you’ll see the same thing: people surreptitiously checking their devices while checking out of the conversation that’s happening right in front of them. I will readily admit that this behavior goes on my Most Annoying List, made even more relevant by the amount of work I do with groups” (Hedges).

It is common to see our co-workers “multitasking” right next to us in meetings, during presentations, sometimes in the middle of our one and one conversations. One study “found that when people switch back and forth between tasks, they lose up to 50% of their efficiency and accuracy” (Hedges).

So yes, simply put , it’s frustrating. But it also significantly hinders our ability as communicators to meet all four of the human conversational needs: distraction undermines our ability to understand concepts and form common ground, it restricts our sense of safe sharing and trust building, prohibits us from connecting to any especially important narrative happening in the room (above), and detaches us from bonds forming during time of playfulness and humor.

The designer’s role in these situations is not always clear. During storyboarding and planning, designers need to consider the role technology will have on the conversation and advocate for its limited use, yet, it may be difficult to enforce. Kristi Hedges, a leadership development consultant, suggests establishing ground rules beforehand, such as requiring devices be turned off or muted until a predetermined tech-break. “…If they are kind enough to put their phones away, then you can do your part by honoring breaks for them to check in… give participants a clear break time with a set beginning and end. People are more likely to unplug when they can plan for when to plug back in” (Hedges).

“In Made to Stick, authors Chip and Dan Heath give numerous examples of stories that cling to our brains like burrs on a Corgi… What gives them their Velcro-like adhesion? According to the authors, it’s because they’re 1) Simple, 2) unexpected, 3) concrete, 4) credible, and 5) emotional. When you apply these five principles to stories that align with your key messages, you deepen the emotional bond…” (Neumeier 92).

Not unlike the “sticky” visuals we discussed in my previous post “Designing for… common ground & understanding,” good stories can adhere to our brains and catch us up in their nets. “Using principal storytelling elements will boost the impact of your message dramatically and prevent you and your audience from drowning in an ever-rising sea of information” (Choy 66). But crafting a story is difficult, an art. Many of us have had no formal training on story development. Luckily there are a plethora of training sessions, videos and books out there to help us craft engaging and powerful stories with our data within work contexts. It takes practice, but most people are able to elevate their ability to tell stories, even with data.

For designers, one tool we can use to craft engaging narratives in conversations is storyboarding. Not unlike wireframing, a method frequently used by web designers and developers, a storyboard is a “visual depiction of the scenes, dialog, action in a sequential order. It is a method used to mock up ideas, designs and concepts…” (UX Design). Similar to the way we might practice an anticipated conversation in our minds (or sometimes out loud), a storyboard can aid designers in crafting anticipated conversations by mapping out who will be in the room, what subject matter will be presented, when certain visuals will be needed, and how certain information may be perceived. If there is anyone invested in the success of a conversation, from a direct manager to the CEO, a storyboard acting as a conversation “prototype” could aid in establishing buy-in from senior leadership about the conversation’s purpose and objectives.