Listen...to The Research: Your Region Has a Listening Accent 🌍👂🏽

Turns out, listening isn’t one-size-fits-all 🎧❌👂🏾. A team of scholars dug into how folks in the Pacific Northwest, Upper Midwest, and Rocky Mountain regions each bring unique "listening codes" to the table—culturally shaped ways of tuning in, understanding, and responding in conversation 🧑🏾‍🤝‍🧑🏼💬✨.

Their findings? While some values—like being open, staying present, and investing in relationships—showed up across the board 🫱🏽‍🫲🏿, other habits (like remembering past convos or challenging ideas) varied by region 🧠🗺️.

As the authors put it:

“Culture influences how we listen.” 🎯 —Combs, Parks & Bennett (2025)

This isn’t just trivia. It’s a blueprint for better listening, deeper connection, and more culturally competent communication—whether you're mentoring youth, leading a small group, or just trying to avoid awkward Zoom silences 😬💻.

The research even offers a memorable acronym—I CARE FOR US—to help anchor 10 key listening values found in U.S. regions. 👇💡 Invest, Care, be Authentic, Remember, Engage, Focus, be Open, Respond, Understand, Stay Present 💡

Bottom line? Where you live shapes how you listen—and understanding that can change everything. 🔥🎧🌍

Find the article here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10904018.2025.2503217