Annika Telléus
Keynotes, courses and conversations about the power of listening.
Explore listening
Why listening?
It is something far more active. Listening means being curious about how another person sees the world, and staying in that curiosity long enough to understand.
Where that listening exists, trust grows. Where it is missing, we get misunderstandings, quiet colleagues, meetings that lead nowhere and conflicts that drain energy.
The good news? Listening is not a talent a lucky few are born with. It is a skill we can practise.
”Truly listening is both an art and a craft.”
Björn Natthiko Lindeblad, on the book The Art of Listening
Assignments
Keynotes, courses and workshops in Swedish and English, on site and online.
I have always been curious about people. About what we think, feel and mean, and about everything that happens when we really try to understand each other. And ourselves.
Listening is my way of meeting the world. Today it is also my work. I speak, teach, write and host conversations, all to spread the power of listening.
When we get better at listening, our understanding of each other, and ourselves, deepens. Trust grows with it, and our relationships become stronger.
Tools & concepts
The listening beanie
The beanie is a visual metaphor for our ability to listen. And what happens when we lose it. With the beanie on, you are present, authentic and loving. Noticing when it is on and when it has slipped off makes a real difference to how we communicate. Teams appreciate that it gives them a shared, disarming language: “My beanie has fallen off. Can we continue when I can listen properly again?”
PAL, the listening friend
To become a better listener, think PAL: Present, Authentic and Loving.
P
Fully here, putting distractions aside.
A
Curious without a hidden agenda, showing up as yourself.
L
Listening with goodwill and genuine care.
PIT, the pitfall of listening
We all fall into the PIT sometimes, but our relationships change when we learn to stay out of it.
Read the article: Listening leadership →P
Assuming we already know what the other person means.
I
Stepping in before the other person has finished thinking.
T
Rushing to solve the problem instead of holding space.
The 4 S of meetings
1
Capture as many perspectives and thoughts as possible.
2
Make time for reflection, so more people can catch up with their own thinking.
3
How do the pieces fit together? Prioritise what matters most.
4
Make decisions and move forward together.
An English edition of the practical listening guide is in preparation. Get in touch if you would like a copy for your team.
References
You are very interesting, you inspire and motivate. It is the perfect mix between exercise, facts and self reflection. Thank you for a great hour full of inspiration and learnings!The ability to listen is crucial for building sustainable and meaningful relationships, both privately and at work. Annika conveys this in a clear and simple way that makes it easy to take in. Her use of metaphors, stories and images makes the message easy to understand. I warmly recommend Annika if you want to develop yourself and your colleagues.Warmly recommended. Annika is a hugely inspiring, interesting and fun speaker. Like a Kinder egg, but healthier for you and your business.Many thanks for a fantastic talk! You truly delivered at your best. It felt exactly right, almost spiritual, such well-chosen words, examples and thoughts, conveyed with great clarity and perfect timing for us in this stressful period. I am very, very pleased! THANK YOU!Working together
Sometimes you need a shared experience that brings people together around a common direction. Sometimes you need time to practise. Often both.
Time together that makes listening concrete, and continues in the conversations on the way out.
Practical
For when listening needs to become a way of working, not just an insight. We practise together, on real conversations.
Practical
Always a mix of
Explore further
A book, a podcast and conversations in the media. All part of an ongoing exploration of what happens when we listen.
Bazar
The Art of Listening
The book that brought it all together, about why listening is harder than we think, and what becomes possible when we truly listen. Published in Swedish by Bazar in 2020.
The book has also been translated into Czech.
About the book →More than 70 warm and exploratory conversations on listening, and about what happens between us when we truly make room for another person.
Together with guests from different worlds, Annika explores listening through themes such as leadership, relationships, creativity, silence, vulnerability, conflict and courage.
Guests include author Emma Hamberg, business leader Caroline Farberger, professor Emma Stenström, spiritual teacher Erika Gagnon and opera singer Rickard Söderberg.
The conversations are in Swedish. For now.
One conversation in English
In episode 44, Annika talks with wisdom keeper Erika Gagnon about listening for individual healing. A reflective conversation with a spiritual perspective. The introduction is in Swedish, the conversation itself in English.
Listen to the episode →
About Annika
Annika Telléus is an author, keynote speaker and podcast host devoted to exploring the power of listening.
Before working independently she spent 16 years at H&M, in customer research, market analysis and business development, listening to customers and colleagues.
Her book “Konsten att lyssna” (The Art of Listening) was published in 2020 and has been translated into Czech. The podcast of the same name followed soon after.
In the media
Annika regularly contributes to Swedish media on listening, relationships and leadership.
Contact
Write a few lines about your situation: a date, a group or a question you are wrestling with. We start with a conversation, not a proposal.
annika@annikatelleus.comKeynotes and workshops worldwide and online. Swedish and English.
