Listen and check your understanding

Paraphrasing can reveal a difference in understanding

A colleague says she’s exhausted by the project brief changing as the deadline approaches. You have advice ready, but you don’t yet know whether she wants a solution, support, or simply space to talk about the problem.

You could summarise: “Am I understanding you correctly that the hardest part is planning when priorities change at the last minute?” Then give her a chance to confirm or correct your understanding. Paraphrasing isn’t mechanically repeating someone’s words; it’s a way to check what they mean. Once you’ve listened, you can offer help or share information the other person may not have.