Agenda — Rohnert Park City Council, June 25, 2025

"We Care for Our Residents by Working Together to
Build a Better Community for Today and Tomorrow."

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE ROHNERT PARK CITY COUNCIL WILL HOLD A SPECIAL MEETING – STUDY SESSION
on Wednesday June 25, 2025
Open Session: 8:30 a.m.

MEETING LOCATION:

Oxford Suites, Redwood Ballroom 2
67 Golf Course Drive W, Rohnert Park, CA 94928
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: The Rohnert Park City Council welcomes your attendance, interest and participation at this special meeting. Closed Session Meetings are not televised or broadcasted.

PUBLIC COMMENTS: Provides an opportunity for public comment on items listed on the agenda (limited to three minutes per appearance with a maximum allowance of 30 minutes with time limits subject to modification by the City Council in accordance with the adopted City Council Protocols). Please fill out a speaker card prior to speaking.

Members of the public may also provide advanced comments related only to items listed on this agenda by email at [email protected] no later than 5:00 p.m. the day before the meeting. The emails will not be read for the record but will be provided to Council. Please note that all e -mails sent to the City Council are considered to be public records and subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act.

City Council/RPFA agendas and minutes may be viewed at the City's website: www.rpcity.org.

PUBLIC HEARINGS: Council/RPFA may discuss and/or take action on any or all of the items listed on this agenda. If you challenge decisions of the City Council or the Rohnert Park Financing Authority of the City of Rohnert Park in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at public hearing(s) described in this agenda, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Rohnert Park at, or prior to the public hearing(s).

RIGHT TO APPEAL: Judicial review of any city administrative decision pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure Section 1094.5 may be had only if a petition is filed with the court no later than the deadlines specified in Section 1094.6 of the California Code of Civil Procedure, which generally limits the time within which the decision may be challenged to the 90th day following the date that the decision becomes final.

SIMULTANEOUS MEETING COMPENSATION DISCLOSURE (Government Code Section 54952.3):

Members of the City Council receive no additional compensation as a result of convening this joint meeting of the City Council and the Rohnert Park Financing Authority.

CITY COUNCIL GOALS: On May 14, 2024, the Rohnert Park City Council adopted the following multi-year broad goals (listed below in no particular order):

1. Long Term Financial Sustainability 3. Planning and Infrastructure

2. Community Quality of Life 4. Organization Well Being

1. CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING - CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL (Adams_____Elward_____Rodriguez_____Sanborn______Giudice______)

2. CITY COUNCIL GOVERNANCE TRAINING AND TEAM DEVELOPMENT A. Public Comments (limited to Study Session agenda item only) - No earlier than 8:30am B. Disc training
C. Council communication
D. EQ assessment
E. Putting it all together

3. ADJOURNMENT
NOTE: Time shown for any particular matter on the agenda is an estimate only. Matters may be considered earlier or later than the time indicated depending on the pace at which the meeting proceeds. If you wish to speak on an item under discussion by the Council which appears on this agenda, please refer to page 1 for more details on submitting a public comment. Any item raised by a member of the public which is not on the agenda and may require Council action shall be automatically referred to staff for investigation and disposition which may include placing on a future agenda. If the item is deemed to be an emergency or the need to take action arose after posting of the agenda within the meaning of Government Code Section 54954.2(b), Council is entitled to discuss the matter to determine if it is an emergency item under said Government Code and may take action thereon.

AGENDA REPORTS & DOCUMENTS: A paper copy of all staff reports and documents subject to disclosure that relate to each item of business referred to on the agenda are available for public inspection at City Hall, 130 Avram Avenue, Rohnert Park, California 94928. Electronic copies of all staff reports and documents subject to disclosure that relate to each item of business referred to on the agenda are available for public inspection at https://www.rpcity.org/city_hall/city_council/meeting_central.

Any writings or documents subject to
disclosure that are provided to all, or a majority of all, of the members of the City Council regarding any item on this agenda after the agenda has been distributed will be made available for inspection at City Hall and on our website at the same time. Any writings or documents subject to disclosure that are provided to the City Council during the meeting will be made available for public inspection during meeting and on our website following the meeting.

CERTIFICATION OF POSTING OF AGENDA
I, Sylvia Lopez Cuevas, City Clerk, for the City of Rohnert Park, declare that the foregoing agenda was posted and available for review on June 23rd, 2025, at Rohnert Park City Hall, 130 Avram Avenue, Rohnert Park, California 94928. The agenda is also available on the City website at www.rpcity.org Executed this 23rd day of June, 2025 at Rohnert Park, California.

Sylvia Lopez Cuevas
Office of the City Clerk
Amistad Associates, all rights reserved.

Tips for Better Communication

1. Know what your intentions are.

When communicating with someone, be aware of your intentions in the communication because it will affect the outcome. It is always optimal to start from a place of goodwill.

2. Be sure that you and the other person involved in the communication mean the same thing.

Always clarify your understanding before moving on to the next thing.

3. Know when and how to let the other person know what is going on inside you (your inner process).

There are times when it is helpful, even critical, to express what is going on for you, relevant to the interchange.

4. Respond rather than react to the person with whom you are having the dialogue.

Responding means to speak or act “in response to;” in other words, to answer or acknowledge what has been said, rather than to express an emotional reaction to a communication. Responding instead of reacting is important to effective communication.

5. Practice active listening.

Active listening is a total involvement in the process of dialoguing with the other person. It means to further communication through clarifying rather than interpreting.

PREREQUISITE #1:

Take responsibility for your words and acknowledge the outcomes that ensue from them.

PREREQUISITE #2:

Be willing to accept the hearer’s reaction to your words without becoming defensive.

Listening Blocks
The Ten Non-building Blocks to Listening
Evaluation/Judgment
We are so busy planning our attack, or criticizing the other’s message that we often do not hear what is really being said.

Jumping to Conclusions
We jump to conclusions, filling in our own details before the other person has had a chance to explain him or herself.
“We are all the same”
We assume that other people think as we do.

Attitude, the Closed Mind
We tune out people with whom we do not agree.

Lack of Attention
We let our minds wander, giving in to other external noises or distractions.

Wishful Hearing
We tend to hear what we want to hear, or expect to hear.

Excessive Talking
We interrupt or dominate the conversation so that the other person does not get a chance to adequately express his or her ideas.

Unclear Words
We fail to find out what the other person means by the particular words he or she chooses.

Lack of Humility
We feel that we must express our superiority by speaking or contradicting the other.

Fear
We avoid listening with understanding because we are afraid that the other person may challenge some long-held belief. We are afraid to be threatened by a new idea.

T. Bradberry and J. Greaves, Emotional Intelligence 2.0

STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

SELF-AWARENESS SELF-MANAGEMENT SOCIAL AWARENESS RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT Your ability to accurately perceive
your emotions and stay aware of
them as they happen. This includes
keeping on top of how you tend to
respond to specific situations.

Your ability to use awareness of
your emotions to stay flexible and
positively direct your behavior. This
means managing your emotional
reactions to all situations and
certain people.

Your ability to accurately pick up on
emotions in other people and get
what is really going on. This often
means understanding what other
people are thinking and feeling,
even if you don’t feel the same way.

Your ability to use awareness of
your emotions and the emotions of
others to manage interactions
successfully. Letting emotional
awareness guide clear
communication and effective
handling of conflict.

Development Strategies Development Strategies Development Strategies Development Strategies

1. Stop treating your feelings as
good or bad

2. Observe the ripple effect
from your emotions

3. Lean into discomfort

4. Feel your emotions physically

5. Know who and what pushes
your buttons

6. Watch yourself like a hawk

7. Keep a journal about your
emotions

8. Don’t be fooled by a bad
mood

9. Don’t be fooled by a good
mood

10. Stop and ask yourself why
you do the things that you do

11. Visit your values

12. Check yourself

13. Spot your emotions in books,
movies and music

14. Seek feedback

15. Get to know yourself under
stress

1. Breathe right

2. Create an emotion vs. reason
list

3. Make your goals public

4. Count to ten

5. Sleep on it

6. Talk to a skilled self-manager

7. Smile and laugh more

8. Set aside some time in your
day for problem solving

9. Take control of your self-talk

10. Visualize yourself succeeding

11. Clean up your sleep hygiene

12. Focus your attention on your
freedoms, rather than your
limitations

13. Stay synchronized

14. Speak to someone who is not
emotionally invested in your
problem

15. Learn a valuable lesson from
everyone you encounter

16. Put a mental recharge into
your schedule

17. Accept that change is just
around the corner

1. Greet people by name

2. Watch body language

3. Make timing everything

4. Develop a back-pocket
question

5. Don't take notes at meetings

6. Plan ahead for social
gatherings

7. Clear away the clutter

8. Live in the moment

9. Go on a 15-minute tour

10. Watch EQ at the movies

11. Practice the art of listening

12. Go people watching

13. Understand the rules of the
culture game

14. Test for accuracy

15. Step into their shoes

16. Seek the whole picture

17. Catch the mood of the room

1. Be open and be curious

2. Enhance your natural
communication style

3. Avoid giving mixed signals

4. Remember the little things
that pack a punch

5. Take feedback well

6. Build trust

7. Have and “open-door” policy

8. Only get mad on purpose

9. Don’t avoid the inevitable

10. Acknowledge the other
person’s feelings

11. Complement the person’s
emotions or situation

12. When you care, show it

13. Explain your decisions, don’t
just make them

14. Make your feedback direct
and constructive

15. Align your intention with
your impact

16. Offer a “fix-it” statement
during a broken conversation

17. Tackle tough conversation

HOW WE

PRESENT
OURSELVES:

PRESENTED BY AMISTAD ASSOCIATES

DISC PERSONAL

PROFILE SYSTEM
21ST CENTURY

LEARNING
AREAS

UNDERSTANDING (KNOWLEDGE)

ATTITUDES (AFFECTIVE AREAS)

BEHAVIOR (SKILLS)

UNDERSTANDING
(Knowledge)

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES

HOW CHANGE OCCURS IN GLOBAL MARKETS &

WAYS TO PLAN FOR IT

INTEGRATES LEARNING FROM MENTORS &

SPONSORS

NEW MODELS FOR EVOLVING LEADERSHIP

THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS

HOW TO MOTIVATE - SELF & OTHERS

ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS, VALUES & MISSION

UNDERSTANDING
(Knowledge)

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES

PERSONAL GOALS, PURPOSE, VALUES & MISSION

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING & NETWORKING

STRATEGIES

HOW TO GAIN SPONSORSHIP

USING POWER TO GET THINGS DONE

HOW TO MANAGE DIVERSITY & BREAK DOWN

BARRIERS TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT

IMPORTANCE OF WORK & LIFE BALANCE

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES

ATTITUDES
(Affective Areas)
EMOTIONAL & CULTURAL I.Q.

OPENNESS TO SHARE & TO LISTEN

OPEN-MINDEDNESS & DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT

BELIEF IN SELF-ESTEEM
VALUES OTHER’S INPUT

VALUES DIVERSITY

FLEXIBLE

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES

ATTITUDES
(Affective Areas)

COMMITMENT & ENTHUSIASM FOR OWN GOALS &

MISSION

STAYS POSITIVE

HEALTHY SENSE OF HUMOR

WILLING TO CONFRONT CONFLICT

WILLING TO TAKE RISKS

COMFORT WITH AMBIGUITY

WILLING TO QUESTION ASSUMPTIONS

BEHAVIOR
(Skills)

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES
ABILITY TO “SELL” THE VISION

PROBLEM SOLVING (INDIVIDUAL & GROUPS)

MANAGING TIME

SETTING GOALS

DEVELOPING SUPPORTIVE TEAMS

KNOWING HOW TO LEARN

MANAGING CONFLICT

BEHAVIOR
(Skills)

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES

MANAGING DIVERSITY

UTILIZING STRENGTHS OF OTHERS

ADAPTABILITY
PEOPLE SKILLS:
 COMMUNICATION
 LISTENING
 FACILITATING
 INFLUENCING
 MOTIVATING
 NEGOTIATING
 EMPOWERING

A TRULY

SUCCESSFUL PERSON
IS ONE WHO:
 Knows themselves
 Understands why &
how they affect other
people; how other
people affect them

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES

A TRULY SUCCESSFUL
PERSON IS ONE WHO:
 Knows their
strengths &
weaknesses
 Maximizes strengths
& minimizes
weaknesses AMISTAD ASSOCIATES

A TRULY SUCCESSFUL PERSON
IS ONE WHO:
 Develops a positive attitude
about self, which causes
others to trust & have
confidence in them
 Develops the ability to study
situations & people; adapts
appropriate behavioral
strategies

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES
DISC

PERSONAL

PROFILE

BENEFITS OF THE DISC

ASSESSMENT
Benefits
of DiSC:

Team members learn to recognize
& capitalize on contrasting
behavioral styles
Benefits
of DiSC:

Provides new opportunities to
develop strategies to accommodate
differing styles of your teammates
Benefits
of DiSC: You come to understand your own
value to the team
Benefits
of DiSC:

You will learn to influence others
in a positive way
Benefits
of DiSC:

It shows you how to communicate
more effectively with teammates,
including members who have a
different behavioral style than you

DISCBEHAVIORALSTYLES
Task Oriented Relationship
Oriented
Fast
Pace
High ego strength
Strong willed
Decisive
Efficient
Desires change
Competitive
Independent
Practical

DOMINANCE

INFLUENCE
Emotional
Enthusiastic
Optimistic
Persuasive
Animated
Talkative
People oriented
Stimulated

DIRECTIVE TALKATIVE
Pushy
Impatient
Domineering
Attacks first
Tough
Harsh
Disorganized
Undisciplined
Manipulative
Excitable
Reactive
Vain
Stuffy
Picky
Judgmental
Slow to make
decisions
Fears criticism
Critical

CONSCIENTIOUSNES

STEADINESS
Unsure
Wishy-washy
Awkward
Possessive
Conforming
Insecure
Slow
Pace
Perfectionist
Sensitive
Accurate
Persistent
Serious
Needs information
Orderly
Cautious
Dependable
Agreeable
Supportive
Accepts change slowly
Contented
Calm
Amiable
Reserved

CAUTIOUS SUPPORTIVE
DiSC Styles

D I S C
Appearance Businesslike, Functional Fashionable, Stylish Casual, Conforming Formal, Conservative Workspace Busy, Formal, Efficient,
Structured
Stimulating, Personal, Cluttered,
Friendly
Personal, Relaxed, Friendly,
Informal
Structured, Organized, Functional,
Formal
Pace Fast, Decisive Fast, Spontaneous Slow, Steady Slow, Systematic Priority The Task, The Results Relationships, Interacting Maintaining harmony The Task, The Process Fears Loss of control Loss of prestige Confrontation Embarrassment Under Tension Dictate, Assert Withdraw, Shut down Submit, Acquiesce Attack, Be sarcastic Seeks Productivity Recognition Reassurance Accuracy
Needs to Know What it does? By when? What it
costs?
Who else uses it? How it enhances
their status
How it will affect their personal
circumstances
How they justify the purchase,
Logically how it works
Gains Security By Control Flexibility Close relationships Preparation Wants to Maintain Success Image, Status Relationships Credibility Support Their Goals Ideas Feelings Thoughts
Achieves Acceptance By Leadership, Competition Playfulness, Stimulating environment Conformity, Loyalty Correctness, Thoroughness Likes You to Be To the point Stimulating Pleasant Precise Wants to Be In charge Admired Liked Correct
Irritated By Inefficiency, Indecision Boredom, Routine Insensitivity, Impatience Surprises, Unpredictability Measures Personal Worth By Results, Track record,
Measurable progress
Acknowledgement, Recognition,
Applause, Compliments
Compatibility with others, Depth of
relationships Precision, Accuracy, Activity
Decisions Are Decisive Spontaneous Considered Calculated

COMMUNICATION STYLES

HOW TO SAY IT SO PEOPLE WILL LISTEN
© CARLSON LEARNING COMPANY
 Present small amounts of
supporting facts & reveal your
bottom line
 Capitalize on it being new &
innovative
 Be direct & to the point
 Focus on immediate results
 Speak to what it will do for
this person
HOW TO SAY IT TO A “D”
 Be very enthusiastic in your
presentation
 Be very articulate
 Create an environment of
inspiration & motivation
 Speak about how this will
help others & what it will
mean to their well being
HOW TO SAY IT TO AN “I”
 If a major change, perform
conditioning for the person prior to
your presentation
 If possible, make a group
presentation with others who
support the need for the change
 Speak to the people issues & the
positive aspects of what it will mean
to them
 Talk about the process that will help
people assimilate any changes
 Give sufficient reasons for changing
the status quo
HOW TO SAY IT TO A “S”
 Provide every fact regarding the
issue
 Concentrate on the key details
 Do not make any error in any of
your facts
 Spell out how the issue aligns
with key policy & procedures
 Speak of new levels of quality
control if change from the status
quo
HOW TO SAY IT TO A “C”

STRATEGIES
FOR

BLENDING &

DOMINANCE

REMEMBER, A HIGH
“D” MAY WANT:
 Authority
 Challenges
 Prestige
 Freedom
 Varied
activities
 Growth
assignments
 “Bottom line”
approach
 Opportunity
for
advancement

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES

DOMINANCE
REMEMBER, A HIGH “D” MAY WANT:
 Provide direct answers, be
brief & to the point
 Ask “what” questions, not
how
 Stick to business, results they
desire
 Outline possibilities for person
to get results, solve problems,
be in charge

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES

DOMINANCE
REMEMBER, A HIGH “D” MAY WANT:
 Stress logical benefits of
featured ideas & approaches
 When in agreement, agree
with facts & ideas rather than
the person
 If timeliness or sanctions exist,
get these into the open as
related to end results or
objectives

INFLUENCE

REMEMBER, A HIGH
“I” MAY WANT:
 Social
recognition
 Popularity
 People to talk to
 Freedom from
control & detail
 Favorable
working
conditions
 Recognition of
abilities
 Chance to
motivate people
 Inclusion by
others

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES

INFLUENCE
REMEMBER, A HIGH “I” MAY WANT:
 Provide favorable, friendly
environment
 Provide chance for them to
verbalize about ideas, people
& their intuition
 Offer them ideas for
transferring talk into action
 Provide testimonials

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES

INFLUENCE
REMEMBER, A HIGH “I” MAY WANT:
 Provide time for stimulating,
social activities
 Provide details in writing, but
don’t dwell on them
 Provide a participative
relationship
 Provide incentives for taking
on tasks

STEADINESS

REMEMBER, A HIGH
“S” MAY WANT:
 Security of
situation
 Time to adjust
to change
 Appreciation
 Identification
with the
group
 Limited
territory
 Areas of
specialization

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES

STEADINESS
REMEMBER, A HIGH “S” MAY WANT:
 Provide a sincere, personal &
agreeable environment
 Provide a sincere interest in
them as a person
 Focus on answers to “how”
questions to provide them
with clarification
 Be patient in drawing out
their goals

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES

STEADINESS
REMEMBER, A HIGH “S” MAY WANT:
 Present ideas or departures from
current practices in a nonthreatening manner; give them a chance to adjust
 Clearly define goals, roles or
procedures & their place in the
overall plan
 Provide personal assurance of
follow-up support
 Emphasize how their actions will
minimize risks involved

CONSCIENTIOUSNESS

REMEMBER, A HIGH
“C” MAY WANT:
 Personal
autonomy
 Opportunity
for careful
planning
 Exact job
descriptions
 Precise
expectations

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES

CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
REMEMBER, A HIGH “C” MAY WANT:
 Take time to prepare your case in
advance
 Provide straight pros and cons of
ideas
 Support ideas with accurate data
 Provide reassurance that no
surprises will occur
 Provide exact job description with
precise explanation of how it fits
the big picture

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES

CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
REMEMBER, A HIGH “C” MAY WANT:
 Review recommendations to
them in a systematic &
comprehensive manner
 If agreeing, be specific
 If disagreeing, disagree with
facts rather than the person
 Be prepared to provide
explanations in a patient,
persistent, diplomatic manner

LIMITATIONS

UNDER PRESSURE
© CARLSON LEARNING COMPANY
 Overstep prerogatives
 Act restlessly
 Stimulate anxiety in others
 Overrule people
 Be blunt & sarcastic with others
 Sulk when not in the limelight
 Be critical & faultfinding
 Be inattentive to details & logic
 Be dissatisfied with routine work
 Resist participation as part of a
team
PEOPLE WITH A HIGH “D” MAY:

PEOPLE WITH A HIGH “I” MAY:
 Be more concerned with popularity than tangible
results
 Oversell
 Act impulsively – heart over mind
 Come to inconsistent conclusions
 Make decisions solely on gut feelings
 Be unrealistic in appraising people
 Be inattentive to detail
 Trust people indiscriminately
 Have difficulty planning & estimating time
expenditure
 Make a superficial analysis
PEOPLE WITH A HIGH “S” MAY:
 Insist on maintaining status quo
 Take a long time to adjust
Have trouble meeting multiple deadlines
Need help getting started on new projects
Have difficulty with innovation
 Be contented with things as they are
 Continue to do things the way they were
always done
Hold onto past experiences & feelings
Wait for orders before acting
PEOPLE WITH A HIGH “C” MAY:
 Seek feedback & direction from supervisors
 Be hesitant to act without precedent
 Be bound by key procedures & methods
 Get bogged down in decision-making process
 Resist delegating tasks
Want full explanation before changes are made
 Yield position to avoid controversy
 Avoid involvement when threatened
 Focus exclusively on their own task
accomplishments
Styles Scores POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT
I D-D ☐ ●
II D-I ☐ ●
III D-S ● ☐
IV D-C ● ☐
V I-I ☐ ●
VI I-S ● ☐
VII I-C ● ☐
VIII S-S ☐ ●
IX S-C ☐ ●
X C-C ☐ ●
● Human Relationships
☐ Work Tasks

STYLE COMPATIBILTY
Tips for Better Communication
How We
Communicate
Communication is comprised
of:
 What is said (denotation)
 How it’s said (connotation)
 Where & When the
communication occurs

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES
Body Language
45%
Voice/Tone
30%
Physical Setting
10%
Interruptions
5%
Physical Distance
5%
Words
5%
How We Communicate
Body Language
Voice/Tone
Physical Setting
Interruptions
Physical Distance
Words
Prerequisite #1
Take responsibility for your
words & acknowledge the
outcomes that ensue from
them
Tips for Better
Communication

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES
Prerequisite #2
Be willing to accept
another’s reaction to your
words without becoming
defensive
Tips for Better
Communication

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES
Tips for Better Communication
 Know your intentions
 Be sure that you &
the other person
involved in the
communication mean
the same thing

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES
Tips for Better Communication

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES
 Know when & how to let
the other person know
what is going on inside
you (your inner process)
 Respond rather than react
to the person you are
having the dialogue with
 Practice active listening
Giving Feedback  Descriptive rather than
evaluative
 Specific rather than
general
 Takes into account
needs of both the
receiver & giver of
feedback

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES
Giving Feedback
 Directed toward
behavior that the
receiver can do
something about
 Well timed
 Check to ensure clear
communication

AMISTAD ASSOCIATES
Rules for Good Listening

1. STOP TALKING
 You cannot listen if you are talking

2. PUT THE TALKER AT EASE
 Help them feel that they are free to talk

3. SHOW THEM THAT YOU WANT TO LISTEN
 Look & act interested
 Do not read your email or look at your phone while they talk  Listen for understanding rather than to reply

4. REMOVE DISTRACTIONS
 Don’t doodle, tap, or shuffle papers
 Will it be quieter if you shut the door and/or turn off your cell phone?

5. PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR PLACE
 Try to see their point of view

6. BE PATIENT
 Allow plenty of time
 Do not interrupt
 Don’t start for the door or walk away

7. HOLD YOUR TEMPER
 Any angry person gets the wrong meaning from words

8. GO EASY ON ARGUMENT & CRITICISM
 This puts people on the defensive - they may “clam up” or get angry  Do not argue; even if you win, you lose

9. ASK QUESTIONS
 This encourages them and shows you are listening; it helps to develop their points further

10. STOP TALKING
 Worth repeating
Rules for Good Listening
Non-building Blocks of Listening
We are so busy planning our attack, or criticizing the other’s message that we often do not Evaluation/Judgment hear what is really being said We jump to conclusions, filling in our own details before the other person has a chance to explain Jumping to Conclusions
“We are all the same” We assume that other people think as we do Attitude, the Closed Mind We tune out people with whom we do not agree Lack of Attention We let our minds wander, giving in to other external noises or distractions Wishful Hearing We tend to hear what we want or expect to hear We interrupt or dominate the conversation so that the other person does not get a chance to Excessive Talking adequately express their ideas Unclear Words We fail to find out what the other person means by the particular words they choose Lack of Humility We feel that we must express our superiority by speaking or contradicting the other We avoid listening with understanding because we are afraid that the other person may challenge some long-held belief; we are afraid to be threatened by a new idea Fear
3 Rules of Effective Listening
Focusing This means that the person who is
speaking has the center of attention
Accepting
without
Judgement
Although the listener may not agree
with the speaker, they listen
respectfully & with interest
Drawing
Out
The listener helps encourage the
speaker & make it easier for them to
express themselves

Rohnert Park City CouncilJune 25, 2025

Rohnert Park City Council
June 25, 2025