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Echo Technique

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 4:30 am
by Maksudasm
The active listening technique "Echo" involves repeating the last or most significant phrases of the interlocutor. In this way, we demonstrate that we hear and understand the speaker. Lev Ushakov, who is a creative state trainer and facilitator, believes that echo-reaction solves two main tasks:

Directs the opponent to a specific topic. In this case, you should highlight the part of the most catchy phrase.

Supporting the interlocutor for better understanding. Here we highlight the most emotional part of what is said.

Echo Technique

Let's consider a situation when overseas chinese in usa data a friend told us that yesterday he received his salary for March, which was delayed for almost 3 months. He received the money in cash. He put it in his backpack and decided to take a walk along the spring streets. Your friend felt great because he paid off all his debts and the loan.

How to choose a reaction for the answer? If you want to talk about salary, emphasize "paid with a delay of almost 3 months." To demonstrate support, highlight the most emotional part: "paid all debts and paid off the loan."

The main character in the movie Pulp Fiction says the line, "Quarter pounder with cheese ." In Paris, it's called Royal Cheese. His partner used the echo-reaction technique and picked out the most emotional words, "Royal Cheese."

Paraphrasing
The active listening technique "Paraphrase" involves repeating what the interlocutor said in other words. This way, you let him know that you hear and understand him perfectly. Or, on the contrary, you show that you need to pause and explain your words. This way, you clarify the necessary information and demonstrate your interlocutor's support.

Rephrase the meaning and content of the speech, not the emotions and feelings of the speaker. Answer in your own words, with facts, without evaluations and judgments. Rephrase as a statement, not in a question form. The speaker will perceive such an answer more friendly.

When paraphrasing, you can greatly shorten the remark. This will look like a summary or a summary of the speaker's main thoughts. The method allows you to "reduce" the interlocutor's words to their essence.

Name the feelings
Speak the emotions that your opponent is experiencing. Say out loud what you notice. For example: "I see that you are upset about the current situation." By identifying feelings, you make it clear that you understand the emotional state of the interlocutor perfectly. After he feels support, he will trust you. The interlocutor will pay attention to his feelings and take control of them or object that this is not so. As a result, the degree of negative experiences will decrease, the conversation will become more open.

Try to understand the emotional state of the interlocutor and avoid judgment and evaluation. If you have doubts that you have identified the emotions of the opponent correctly, you can insert phrases such as “maybe”, “it seems to me that…”. This will smooth out your judgment.

Paraphrasing

Child psychologist Julia Gippenreiter describes this technique very well in her book "Miracles of Active Listening". A father and his seven-year-old son were late for the last bus. On the way to the bus stop, the boy wanted chocolate, but his dad refused him. The offended son began to deliberately lag behind, look around and deliberately walk slower. The man had a choice: to grab the child in his arms and drag him by force, or to be late for the bus. He said to his son: "Denis, you felt sad because I didn't buy you chocolate. You were offended at me." Then something happened that the man did not expect at all: the child gave his hand to his father, and they walked together to the bus stop at a fast pace.