Support
Listen to validate and connect.
When the moment calls for empathy, resist the urge to fix. Acknowledge what the person is feeling before moving to solutions.
The Cicero Award Winning TED Talk
Adaptive Listening®
Everyone’s listening.
Nobody’s being heard.
The S.A.I.D. Framework
Every workplace conversation has a goal. Breakdowns happen when the listener misses it.
The S.A.I.D. Framework identifies the four listening goals, reveals the listening style you default to, and shows you how to adapt in real time.
Advance
Listen to drive action.
When a decision is needed or a conversation is stuck, listen for what will move things forward. Interrupting is sometimes the right call.
Immerse
Listen to absorb and understand deeply.
When you’re learning something new or navigating complexity, your job is to take it all in. Hold your questions. Remember what matters.
Discern
Listen to evaluate and challenge constructively.
When quality matters or risk is on the table, your job is to catch what others miss. Think critically. Speak up.
Go Deeper
Learn the Full Framework
Meet our Listening POV
Find Your Listening Style
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Adaptive Listening®?
Adaptive Listening® is a workplace communication framework developed by Nicole Lowenbraun and Maegan Stephens. It teaches you to recognize what the other person needs from you in a conversation and adjust your listening approach to match. The framework identifies four listening goals: Support, Advance, Immerse, and Discern.
Is Adaptive Listening® the same as active listening?
No. Active listening focuses on showing attention through behaviors like eye contact and paraphrasing. Adaptive Listening® focuses on matching your response to the goal of the conversation. Sometimes the right response is supportive. Other times it’s a challenge, a decision, or simply absorbing the details without jumping in.
Can anyone learn Adaptive Listening®?
Yes. Adaptive Listening® is a skill, not a personality trait. Most people default to one or two styles naturally. The framework teaches you to recognize when a different style is needed and how to shift.
Where does the S.A.I.D. Framework come from?
The S.A.I.D. Framework was developed through years of research and tested with enterprise teams at Fortune 500 companies. It draws on communication science, organizational behavior research, and thousands of workshop participants. The framework is detailed in the book Adaptive Listening and explored in Nicole and Maegan’s TED Talk.
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