Just Listening

Listening for:

• What was said and what was meant. [They can be quite different.]
• What was not said.
• The choice of words.
• The tone.
• The pace.
• What was hidden inside a lengthy description.
• The details.
• The lack of details.
• Whether there is a suspicious amount of details.
• The escape clauses.
• The ploys.
• The direct answers.
• The dodges.
• The sense of commitment.
• Signs of detachment.
• Division in the ranks.
• A subtle abandonment.
• Shifting priorities.
• Hesitation. 
• Overstatements.
• A cry for help.
• A theme.