Whole-Hearted Interpersonal Practices: Listening for Expansion

Whole-Hearted Interpersonal Practices: Listening for Expansion

As evaluators, we have a tendency to listen with the ears of “the expert”, filtering what we hear through our own understanding of the world. Through deep listening we can improve our ability to identify power dynamics, communicate with diverse audiences, manage conflict, and build relationships. In this one-hour workshop, we will build the connection between  the interpersonal practice of releasing our need to be the expert through developing skills for deep listening. 

What to expect:

• Develop an understanding of Releasing as one of the Whole-Hearted Interpersonal Practices

• A practice for deep listening and expanding our ways of knowing about the world

• Discussion on applying releasing practices & listening skills to our evaluation work

Presenters: Libby Smith & Dana Wanzer teach in the MS Applied Psychology program at the University of Wisconsin-Stout which is located on the Anishinaabe land currently known as Menomonie, WI. Both are members of MNEA.

Libby Smith (she/they) is an organizational healing facilitator, as an experienced and holistic evaluator and educator she excels at the human component of research and evaluation. Their work focuses on building equity and accessibility through personal growth & embodiment practices. She is an American Evaluation Association Board member, practices evaluation for Catalyst at UW-Stout, and is an auntie to 10 year old twin girls.

Dana Linnell Wanzer (she/her) is an assistant professor of psychology in evaluation research. She researches the practice and profession of evaluation, evaluates youth programs, and teaches courses on evaluation, statistics, and psychology. Dana recently taught a course on interpersonal effectiveness for graduate students in the evaluation concentration at UW-Stout, which reinforced her belief that interpersonal skills should be explicitly taught to evaluation students.

5.0 INTERPERSONAL DOMAIN—focuses on human relations and social interactions that ground evaluator effectiveness for professional practice throughout the evaluation. Interpersonal skills include cultural competence, communication, facilitation, and conflict resolution.