HEAR

How to implement

Hear:
Actively listen to the other person’s perspective without interrupting.

Empathize:
Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and try to understand and share their feelings.

Apologize:
Offer a sincere apology if you were wrong or if your actions contributed to the conflict.

Resolve:
Work together to find a mutually acceptable solution to the conflict.

Example

The following is a dialogue between Jane and Mark where both are implementing the HEAR framework.

Jane: “Hey Mark, can we chat for a sec? I’m a bit frustrated because the report you were supposed to send over yesterday is still missing, and it’s holding up my part of the project [Hear - Jane is stating her issue, allowing Mark to hear].

Mark: “Oh, Jane, I am so sorry! Things got crazy busy yesterday with that urgent client request, and it completely slipped my mind.”

Jane: “I get it, things can get hectic [Empathize - Jane acknowledging Mark’s situation]. It’s just that this delay really puts me in a tight spot to finish my analysis on time.”

Mark: “Yeah, I understand. That’s totally my fault. I really apologize for dropping the ball on this [Apologize - Mark taking responsibility]. What can I do right now to get that report to you ASAP?” [Resolve - Mark moving towards a solution]

Jane: “If you could send it over within the next hour, that would help a lot. Maybe we can also quickly sync up afterward to make sure we’re both on track for the final deadline?” [Resolve - Jane proposing a solution]”