ECHO
LISTENING INTELLIGENCE
Building Powerful and Trusting Teams with Science
ECHO - Effective Communication for Healthy Organizations
ECHO Listening Intelligence is out to change the way the corporate and sales world thinks about listening. People spend 70-80% of their workday engaged in some form of communication, and 55% of that time is devoted to listening. At the day-to-day level, effective listening can mean the difference between closing a sale that satisfies both parties or the sinking feeling that everything went flat. More broadly, effective listening can infuse an entire company’s culture, improving workplace communications, enhancing team collaboration and driving up employee engagement.
Listening is a Cognitive Thing
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Listening is a brain-based function, and no two brains are alike. Every individual actively listens for different types of information based on their own unique background, experience, and habits. A speaker’s words may hit our ears, but that’s no guarantee we actually receive the full extent of what they’re trying to convey. If we can understand the type of information we habitually listen for, then we can better understand our cognitive biases relative to others on a diverse team. Additionally, since the way we listen is habitual rather than hard-wired, we can begin to make conscious shifts in our listening to expand our range of input, becoming more sensitive to the ways people around us think and communicate.
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This is where the ECHO tool provides such great value for team development. Understanding the individual and collective strengths helps to pave the way for more open and engaged conversations that move the dial on both vision and the bottom line.
Four Areas of Listening Preference
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41 Individual Listening Styles
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15 Team Listening Styles

Strategy requires powerful, trusting, and aligned teams. One simply does not exit without the other.

The ECHO is one of the best tools I have found to help teams overcome communication gaps and barriers. It not only builds self-awareness, but also fosters the kind of team discourse that leads to better decision-making and strategic alignment.
Team Development with LIFT
The LIFT™ (Listening Intelligence for Leaders and Teams) training program provides participants with foundational Listening Intelligence knowledge and a practical framework for putting what they learn into practice. Participants develop a deep understanding of their own habitual listening behavior, learn to identify the listening preferences of other key stakeholders, and gain appreciation for the power of cognitive diversity. We also introduce the SCAN™ (Sense, Connect, Adjust, Navigate) Model, a simple, easy-to-use framework that helps participants put the listening concepts into real world practice.
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Why ECHO?
When we lack a healthy communication culture, it undermines creativity and diversity of thought, stalling productivity and ultimately threatening the company’s bottom line. The ECHO assessment together with LIFT training creates deep, long-lasting behavior change and communication improvement through hands-on, real-time practice of critical listening concepts.​
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How I Show UpI am energized by teams that are smart, engaged, and open to new ideas. I can take in, process and connect information on the fly, and enjoy watching teams in action while I observe and capture connective pieces. I am a teacher/creator at my core, so ensuring that all are participating in an informed, active, and creative space is crucial to my facilitation approach. I AM intensely passionate about what I do, curious, kind, and quick to laugh. I AM NOT sarcastic, cynical, close-minded, or a one-trick pony.
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What I Look for in a ClientMy clients know their business inside and out. They understand that change is constant, adaptation is not an option, and they are looking for a fresh, smart perspective. They are ready to do the work necessary to grow their people, their vision, and their organization because they are passionate about making it thrive from the inside out. If this sounds like you, then let's talk!
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What I Expect from You and Your TeamMy job is to help you and your team do your jobs even better, and that requires open and honest participation throughout the engagement. This means we mutually invest in planning your project, that workshop participants are given the space to engage without distraction, and that we take the time to adjust when things need change. Finally, we honor the work done through intentional focus on the resources, tools and support your team needs to deliver on the outcomes you desire.
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What You Get from MeWhen I engage on a project, I am all in. That means you get my personal cell and an invitation to call anytime you need. My goal is to work alongside your team, using my expertise to add to your institutional knowledge, leaving you in a better place than where you started, and providing exceptional value and return on your investment. That takes partnership and that's what you get when we work together.
The Science of ECHO
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ECHO has undergone rigorous scientific research and testing in consultation with researchers at The University of Mississippi, United States as well as the University of Kent, England. Findings from these in-depth statistical studies are published in the International Journal of Listening. Want to know more? Download the Listening Intelligence Whitepaper.
ECHO is a product of ECHO Listening Intelligence. Erin Sedor, Black Fox Strategy, is certified as an ECHO Practitioner.
What It Looks Like
Delivered through an online platform, participants receive an email and link to take their assessment. Individual reports are generated and provided automatically so takers can view their results right away. The ECHO’s unique question format gathers in 10 questions the same amount of information other assessments gathers in 60 questions, thus saving valuable time for test-takers.
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Individuals receive their ECHO Listening Profile immediately
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Team Profiles are shared via Workshop as a team-building/development exercise with Coaching specific to needs
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Individual and Team Coaching to address ongoing challenges is available
