The Ancient Art of Listening
Speaker: Bob Oberstein
Speaker Designation: Arbitrator, Mediator/facilitator, Fact-finder/Investigator, Trainer and Educator
Speaker: Bob Oberstein
Speaker Designation: Arbitrator, Mediator/facilitator, Fact-finder/Investigator, Trainer and Educator
Listening, truly listening, and not merely being silent or politely waiting for your opportunity to speak or to correct the speaker, is among the hardest work you might ever do. But to truly listen completely so that you are not only hearing but processing what the speaker wanted you to hear and to learn, with your heart as well as with your brain takes practice. However, one must first be aware of this set of listening skills before one can begin to practice and then hopefully perfect one's ability to listen completely.
This webinar will identify the proper environment, skills, and techniques to assist the participant in continuing to develop and improve their ability in this most important and ancient of arts.
The art of listening is not just about hearing what the speaker says in a conversation. It’s about understanding what they say and responding in a way that makes them feel heard.
Listening, at its most basic, is how we gain clarity about issues and people's concerns. However, the advantages go beyond simply avoiding misunderstandings. Deep listening is the foundation for genuine engagement and emotional connections, as well as more rapid and meaningful outcomes from collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
If one is not first listening all other communication skills or techniques will not be as effective. Listening is the bedrock or foundation for all successful relationships. Participants seeking to improve this aspect of their communication skills will benefit from this webinar.
The Ancient Art of Listening transcends cultural and historical boundaries, offering timeless wisdom for effective communication. Rooted in mindfulness, this art encourages individuals to go beyond hearing words and truly understand the nuances of spoken and unspoken messages. In professional settings, mastering this ancient skill fosters stronger connections, trust, and collaboration. By acknowledging the significance of active listening, individuals can navigate the complexities of modern communication and build more meaningful relationships. As organizations recognize the value of genuine communication, the ancient art of listening remains a cornerstone in fostering meaningful connections and navigating the complexities of modern workplaces.
Bob Oberstein has over 52 years of Labor/Employee Relations experience on all sides of the labor-management table including as a neutral (arbitrator, mediator) in both the public and private sectors. He has served as a Commissioner, Maricopa County's Judicial Merit System Review Commission; Member, City of Phoenix Fire and Police Pension Boards; and Member/Chairman, City of Phoenix Civil Service Board. He is also the recipient of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) Director's Certificate of Recognition for Achievement in Promoting Positive Labor-Management Relations. Bob has served as Director, of the Labor Management Relations Program at Ottawa University, Phoenix (OU), Arizona where he taught conflict resolution, grievance processing, arbitration, and negotiation among other courses. He also served OU as Ombudsman for all student, faculty, and support disputes as well as the Disabled Student Liaison and received recognition in "Who's Who Among America's Teachers.
Bob currently mediates in the Family, Civil and Small Claims courts in the State of Washington and serves on the permanent panels/rosters for the FMCS Arbitration Roster (Regions 1, 2, 4, and 7); Oregon Employment Relations Board (OERB); Washington Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC); State of California Mediation and Conciliation Service (SCMCS) Public Employment Relations Panel; American Arbitration Association (AAA) Workplace Investigation Panel; Arizona Department of Education (ADE) Hearing Officer Panel; Eglin Air Force Base & American Federation of Government Employees Local No. 214 Arbitration Panel. In the past, Bob served as mediator and arbitrator on the employment, labor, commercial, and construction panels for the American Arbitration Association and for Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). He was also the initial trainer and advisor for the U.S. EEOC’s Phoenix Regional Office’s mediation program where additionally, he served as a mediator. Bob has also served as facilitator/mediator for the Interest-based bargaining process for several labor negotiations as well as being a Special Master (Arb-Med) in labor-management grievance resolution.
Bob holds a BA in English/Education from St. John's University, a Master of Science in Social Science and Graduate Certificate of Labor Studies from Long Island University, and a Master of Jurisprudence in Labor and Employment Law from Tulane University Law School.
