“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”
— Stephen Covey

In our attempts to influence others, we often focus our efforts on sharpening our arguments in order to anticipate and refute all possible resistance. When we communicate our position to others, we overstate the virtues of our perspective, downplay possible downsides, and focus our listening on identifying and surfacing the vulnerabilities of alternative points of view. Simply put, when others speak, we are either listening for opportunities to undermine their argument, find support for our position, or rehearsing compelling arguments to further support our pre-existing position.

This is what typically passes for "communication" in today's modern day workplace. It is not communication, merely "conversational endurance" as individuals take turns stating and restating their points of view. The failure to truly listen and seek to understand alternative points of view is one of the main reasons why innovation and collaboration are lacking in most organizations.

Listening With Impact is a dynamic, hands-on workshop for business leaders committed to fostering a culture of innovation in the workplace — forward thinking innovators conscious of the fact that their ability to spark positive change is doomed until they learn to become significantly better listeners.

You Will Learn How To:

• Communicate to others that you seek to understand their point of view
• Rethink your position to incorporate the interests and concerns of others
• Engage in true dialogue in which the goal is to gain a deep understanding of multiple perspectives rather than to select any one of them
• Understand and apply the three fundamental levels of listening
• Spark engagement, creativity, and commitment via deep listening
• Expand your own thinking about what is possible and desirable