The Potentiality

John Horn's Website for Community Builders

listening

Three Professional Lessons from Barber Shops

I go to Uptown Barbers in Vancouver’s (Mt. Pleasant ‘hood to get my hair cut every six weeks or so. Marco and Ben – the two barbers who I most often visit – deliver haircuts as good as the banter…

Three Ways to Realize the Potential of Dialogue

THE POTENTIAL OF DIALOGUE Meaningful dialogue is an elusive thing in our communities. Having a respectful conversation with someone about something on which we do not agree isn’t common. Yelling opinions over someone else or building a newsfeed that reinforces…

How to Suspend Judgment

The potential of dialogue Meaningful dialogue is an elusive thing in our communities. Having a respectful conversation with someone about something on which we do not agree isn’t common. Yelling opinions over someone else or building a newsfeed that reinforces…

Five Things in a Great Decision

Kim Scott’s book Radical Candor is all about how to have difficult conversations in order to foster a culture of candor. One of my favourite sections tackles how to get to a great decision. As one might expect a Silicon…

How to Ask for Feedback

A focus of this blog is to help you have better conversations. Enhancing dialogue makes our communities more engaged, diverse and healthier. Accepting and offering feedback are essential elements of great conversations. Giving and receiving praise or criticism isn’t easy,…

How to be a Good Listener

THE POTENTIAL OF DIALOGUE Meaningful dialogue is an elusive thing in our communities. Having a respectful conversation with someone about something on which we do not agree isn’t common. Yelling opinions over someone else or building a newsfeed that reinforces…

Three Ways to Make Someone’s Day

Great leaders – the ones who can really get the best out of people – understand the importance of working with folks holistically. It’s essential to treat people as human beings, not just employees, because human beings get pushed on…

Five Ways to Achieve Focus Through Listening

I’m on a journey to become a better listener. This journey will make me a better leader, dad and partner/friend. For the most part, my listening skills are fine; this said, I am an enthusiastic talker who loves to fill…

Five Steps for Becoming a Great Listener

You and your partner are locked in verbal battle. No matter how you express it, they don’t seem to get it. Instead they seem to be waiting for the last word to come out of your mouth so that they…

Overhearing Community

And my point is this. Listen to the people around you. In addition to all of the hilarious stuff that we spout-off, there are also a lot of interesting, meaningful and touching snapshots of creative concepts that we might overhear that might be world-change-worthy that might inspire the best idea you’ve ever had. So listen to your community. Trust me – and trust Dave and Graham – it’ll be pretty great.