Parenting, Partnerships, 1-on-1s with Subordinates: Master 'Listening' as a Lifelong Skill in 6 Hours. Active Listening Association Certified Associate Training Course, First Session Fully Booked

The first online session of the Active Listening Association Certified Associate Training Course. Full capacity participants commemorate with a Lively pose. A learning opportunity not just for knowledge, but for 'listening skills' that can be used to cherish important people in daily life.

Lively Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture; Representative Director: Eri Oka) successfully held the inaugural "Active Listening Association Certified Active Listening Associate Training Course" as a certified educational institution of the Active Listening Association (in preparation for establishment) online (Zoom) on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. Despite a capacity of 30, 33 participants attended, with approximately 95% reporting satisfaction. The second session is scheduled for Sunday, June 28, 2026, and applications are currently being accepted.

Lively Co., Ltd., which organizes this course, aims to disseminate listening skills throughout society based on the concepts of "Listening is a lifelong skill that can be refined" and "Systematically, not intuitively. Based on evidence, not anecdotes."

■ Background of the event: The contemporary social issue of "dialogue poverty"

Both at home and at work, people increasingly feel that "they speak but are not understood" and "they listen, but relationships do not deepen." Lively defines this phenomenon as "a lack of dialogue that is limited to advice, evaluation, and comparison" and positions the escape from a "society where no one listens" as a social issue. This course refers to this state as "dialogue poverty."

Parents who cannot listen to their children until the end, managers whose relationships with subordinates do not improve even after conducting 1-on-1s, support professionals whose own interpretations precede their attempts to understand others—this state of "listening but not reaching" is not an individual problem but a societal problem where opportunities and quality of dialogue are diminishing.

This course aims to respond to this "dialogue poverty" by systematically acquiring listening skills as a "reproducible technique" rather than an "intuition."

■ Course Features

【1】Learn a listening method that conveys "I want to understand you."

Systematically acquire not just skills, but also the mindset and attitude for "listening in a way that is conveyed to the other person."

【2】6-hour curriculum in 6 chapters

・Chapter 1: Worldview of the course

・Chapter 2: "Dialogue Poverty" and Modern Society

・Chapter 3: Mindset for Listening

・Chapter 4: Basic Skills (Acknowledgment/Empathy)

・Chapter 5: Dealing with Difficult Situations

・Chapter 6: Action Declaration

【3】Eligible to obtain certified qualification "Active Listening Associate"

After completing the course, participants can obtain the "Active Listening Associate" qualification, certified by the Active Listening Association, by passing a certification exam (approximately 60 minutes).

【4】Associate as an entry point for learning

This "Active Listening Associate" qualification is positioned as the first step to systematically learn listening skills. The association plans to offer a higher-level "Active Listening Specialist" training course in the future, providing a path for continuous improvement of listening skills.

■ What you can do after obtaining Associate certification

・Mention "Active Listening Associate" on business cards and profiles

・Name listed on the association's official website (optional)

・Eligibility to apply as a host for the listening service "LivelyTalk" (conditions apply)

・Step up to the higher-level "Specialist" qualification

・Participate in a community to continue honing listening skills

■ First Session Report (April 29, 2026)

Participants: 33 (Capacity 30 / Overbooked)

Format: Online (Zoom) / 6 hours

Exam: Certification exam of approximately 30 minutes conducted after the course

【Participant Survey Results】

・Satisfaction "Very Satisfied" / "Satisfied": Approximately 95%

・Ease of understanding course content: 100% rated 4-5 points (out of 5 points)

・Likelihood to recommend to others: Approximately 70% rated 9-10 points (out of 10 points)

【Voices of Participants (excerpt)】

"The bad and good examples of active listening shown in the video were easy to understand, and after 6 hours of learning, I immediately tried it with my husband during dinner."

"The idea that 'how you feel when you listen' is more important than technique resonated with me. The term 'dialogue poverty' also moved me to tears, as I had personally experienced it."

"I want to practice it not only in 1-on-1s at work but also at home. The 10 checkpoints were easy to understand."

"I had learned active listening skills in counseling and coaching courses, but those were for professional practice. I reflected on my own actions, which I tend to do with family members in daily life."

"I will be conscious of listening in a way that conveys 'I want to understand you.'"

"I used to be afraid of listening, but after taking this course, I now want to actively listen to someone's story soon!"