Curated Questions: Conversations Celebrating the Power of Questions! Being a Listening Poet, Grief, and Questions as a Pathway to Healing | Jenny Hegland #05
Jenny Hegland fosters connections and relationships wherever she lands. As a University Community Engagement Relationship Manager, golf instructor, community disaster recovery lead, and listening poet, Jenny pays sincere attention to those she engages. She has two loves; Jenny serves as the Executive Director of The Good Listening Project and co-founder of Unlimited Boundaries.
Jenny opens with heroics in Saipan in the aftermath of a typhoon, then recounts how community engagement and outreach fueled activism and making a difference in the community. Jenny explains the role of the listening poet and the impact it has had on her and those she serves. We discussed her parents' role in encouraging questions and how questions can be a pathway to healing. Other topics include community, grief, and loneliness. Jenny also shares two of her listening poet poems and the backstory that inspired them.
Episode Notes
Jenny's story behind founding a disaster recovery start-up following a catastrophic typhoon in Saipan [1:50]
Organizing and community activity in Rochester, Minnesota [5:45]
Describes the work of a listening poet and the birth of The Good Listening Project [10:30]
Why Jenny became a listener poet [14:55]
The start of curiosity through Appreciative Inquiry [17:55]
How Jenny's mom defended her right to ask questions [20:45]
How questions can be a pathway to healing [30:30]
The definition of love [36:30]
Questions used to listen [37:20]
Powerful communications tool [39:40]
The movement of emotions is a definition of healing [43:00]
A poem for a 13-year-old, "My Family is a Family" [44:45]
Co-creation of a poem [48:50]
A poem for a Father whose daughter died, "Evermore" [49:26]
A discussion on grief [54:00]
How the practice of listening can address the specter of loneliness [59:00]
Unlimited Boundaries and flipping questions [1:01:55]
Focusing on the quality of questions [1:09:09]
Emergence and breakthrough through silence [1:09:50]
Poem by Mark Nepo [1:12:30]
An invitation and where to reach Jenny Hegland [1:13:40]
Resources Mentioned
United for Saipan
University of Minnesota Rochester
Kay McKeen
The Art of Hosting and Harvesting Conversations That Matter
Harvard Sprint to Accelerate Vaccination Equitably (SAVE) in Community and Rural Health
Questions Asked
How does one go from life in Minnesota to founding a disaster recovery start-up following a catastrophic typhoon in Saipan?
What kind of organizing did you do in Rochester, MN?
What was the origin of the Vote "No" Campaign?
What is a listening poet?
What prompted you to join this task (listener poet)?
What is harvesting (conversations)?
How did your curiosity and care for others start?
Is there a pocket of coherence or innovation where things are working?
How do you know this is true?
Is there anything in your origin story that comes up in the quest of asking questions?
What questions do you use to draw people out?
What would you like to have a poem about?
Tell me more.
What was that like for you?
When you think about reading this poem, how do you want it to make you feel?
What is the story behind the poems?
What if time is all we have?
Why does this question have this effect on you?
Any thoughts on how questions might be used?