Role 01

Active Listener

Help the Informant explore their example and think more deeply about it.

Your Job
Mindset
Do
  • Listen and show curiosity
  • Ask for real examples
  • Explore why things happen
  • Help connect the example to safety culture
Avoid
  • Judging, blaming, or scoring
  • Interrogating the speaker
  • Taking over the discussion
  • Immediately offering solutions
The Six Stages — questions you can use
  1. Card and context First, make sure everyone understands what is being discussed.
    • "Which card did you choose?"
    • "What did that card make you think about?"
    • "What practice are we going to explore?"
    • "Where does this happen?"

    Do not spend too long discussing the wording of the card. Move quickly to the practice or example.

  2. What actually happens? Help the Informant describe the practice rather than giving only a general opinion about it.
    • "Can you walk me through what actually happens?"
    • "Who is involved?"
    • "What normally starts the process?"
    • "What happens next?"
    • "What happens afterwards?"

    When you hear broad statements such as "we always…" or "management normally…", encourage a specific example. The aim is to understand work as it actually happens.

  3. Why does it work? Do not stop once you understand what happens — help the Informant explore why the practice succeeds.
    • "What makes that work well?"
    • "Why do people use it?"
    • "Why do people trust the process?"
    • "What does the supervisor or leader do that helps?"
    • "Why is that important?"

    When an important reason emerges, explore it:

    Informant"People know their concern won't disappear."

    Active Listener"What happens that gives them that confidence?"

  4. What helps or makes it harder? Explore the conditions around the practice without turning the discussion into fault-finding.
    • "When does this work particularly well?"
    • "What helps it work?"
    • "Are there situations where it is harder?"
    • "Does it work differently across crews, shifts, sites, or contractors?"
  5. What does this tell us about safety culture? Help the Informant move beyond the individual example.
    • "What does this tell us about what people value?"
    • "What does this tell us about learning?"
    • "Is there something here about accountability?"
    • "What seems to have become normal around here?"

    Let the Informant interpret the example — do not interpret it for them.

    Instead of"So this means you have a strong speaking-up culture."
    Ask"What do you think this tells us about the culture?"
  6. What is the main learning? Near the end, help the group distil the discussion.
    • "What is the most important thing we have learned from this example?"
    • "If we had to finish the sentence 'This practice works because…', what would we say?"
    • "What does this example tell us about our safety culture?"
    • "What should the Learning Recorder make sure we don't lose?"

    If an idea for strengthening the practice arises naturally, it can be captured. Do not turn the closing stage into a problem-solving exercise.

Discussion Cards

Open the card deck to see the dimension and card the Informant is working from.

Open cards →
Be curious → Ask → Listen → Explore → Reflect back

Your job is not to have the answers. The quality of the conversation depends less on asking lots of questions and more on helping the Informant explain why the practice works.