The Wonder of Words: Haesun Moon on Dialogue, Meaning, and the Power of “Languaging”

Haesun shares how her lifelong fascination with language began in childhood, shaped by a mother who taught her the power of “languaging” and a father who instilled a love of linguistic beauty. She traces how this early awareness, coupled with learning multiple languages, shaped her ability to hear nuance, intention, and the life logic embedded in how people speak.

The conversation moves into her groundbreaking work on the Dialogic Orientation Quadrant, born from microanalysis research and refined into an accessible framework for leaders, clinicians, and coaches. Haesun illustrates how conversations move between past and future, resources and struggles, and how what we listen for influences what grows in a dialogue. She offers vivid examples, from her misplaced phone and surprising sense of peace to a handbag in a Korean market that taught her about how we might want to listen like a salesperson, all the while, discussing how perspective can shift everything.

Throughout the episode, Haesun and Lyssa explore curiosity, relational fluency, respectful engagement with metaphors, and the difference between acknowledging someone’s difficulty and diving unnecessarily into it. Their conversation reveals how subtle word choices, like asking “something else” instead of “anything else,” can dramatically increase clarity, reduce unmet needs, and make people feel truly valued.

Rich with practical insights for anyone who wants to become more intentional in communication. We are reminded that dialogue is co-created, meaning emerges moment by moment, and even small linguistic shifts can open pathways to connection, trust, and genuine change.

This is an episode for coaches, clinicians, leaders, and anyone fascinated by the lived poetry of conversation. Haesun doesn’t just teach about dialogue, she embodies it. Her insights linger long after the interview ends, reminding us that our words are tools for shaping meaning, connection, and possibility.

Season 5

Host: Lyssa deHart, LICSW, MCC, BCC
Let's Connect on LinkedIn
Website Lyssa deHart

Producer: Michele Logan

Video Editor: Sebastian Crespo

Social Media: Lizana Guillen

Music: Frolic by Harrison Amer

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