# What Great Listeners Actually Do

![rw-book-cover](https://hbr.org/resources/images/article_assets/2016/07/jul16-14-hbr-laura-schneider-communication-02-bor.jpg)

## Metadata
- Author: [[Jack Zenger]]
- Full Title: What Great Listeners Actually Do
- Category: #articles
- URL: https://hbr.org/2016/07/what-great-listeners-actually-do

## Highlights
- Instead of thinking of a good listener as a sponge —absorbing everything but providing little feedback — a skilled listener should be thought of as a trampoline who amplifies and supports a speaker’s thoughts by providing constructive feedback.
    - Tags: [[listening]] [[favorite]] 
- While many of us have thought of being a good listener being like a sponge that accurately absorbs what the other person is saying, instead, what these findings show is that good listeners are like trampolines. They are someone you can bounce ideas off of — and rather than absorbing your ideas and energy, they amplify, energize, and clarify your thinking. They make you feel better not merely passively absorbing, but by actively supporting. This lets you gain energy and height, just like someone jumping on a trampoline.