656: How to Understand People Better, with Heather Younger

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Nov 27, 2023

Heather Younger, a renowned keynote speaker and CEO of Employee Fanatix, shares her expertise in active listening, highlighting its crucial role in leadership. She discusses how true listening goes beyond words, involving attention to non-verbal cues. Younger emphasizes that effective listening fosters trust and empathy, enabling leaders to create deeper, more meaningful interactions. By shifting focus from what we want to hear to what we need to learn, leaders can enhance their relationships and drive greater engagement within their teams.

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ADVICE

Fixing Issues with Listening

Identify issues fixable only through better listening.
Then, master active listening to resolve them.

INSIGHT

Listening vs. Fixing

Leaders often jump to fixing problems instead of listening.
When you listen effectively, people share more information.

ADVICE

Creating a Conducive Environment for Listening

Minimize distractions during important conversations.
Set clear expectations for focused listening.

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Heather Younger: The Art of Active Listening

Heather Younger is an experienced international keynote speaker, best-selling author, CEO, and Founder of Employee Fanatix. Known as The Employee Whisperer, Heather harnesses humor, warmth, and an instant relatability to engage and uplift audiences and inspire them into action.

She is a Certified Diversity Professional, certified in Emotional and Social Intelligence and DiSC, and is also the author of three books. Her previous best-selling book, The Art of Caring Leadership: How Leading with Heart Uplifts Teams and Organizations, was praised for offering powerful insights for developing authentic, thoughtful, and purposeful leaders and change-makers. She’s the author of The Art of Active Listening: How People at Work Feel Heard, Valued, and Understood*.

When you know how to listen, people will share more. We may or may not always be able to resolve every concern, but we can be sure others are heard. In this conversation, Heather and I discuss how we can shift from listening for what we want to hear towards listening for what we need to learn.

Key Points

Some issues can only be resolved through better listening. That alone makes this a critical skill for leaders.
When you know how to listen, people will bring things to you. Listen for not what you want to hear but what you want to learn.
Listening is not just about what’s been said, but also about what is seen. Get beyond simply, “What I hear you saying is…”
Some leaders have a fear about the direction that a response might take a conversation. Remember that often people first and foremost want to be heard, regardless of what happens next.
Nobody is ready to listen at every moment. Taking time to center yourself for a conversation in a few minutes or later in the day can be helpful for both parties.

Resources Mentioned

The Art of Active Listening: How People at Work Feel Heard, Valued, and Understood* by Heather Younger
Art of Active Listening Certification

Interview Notes

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Related Episodes

The Way to Have Conversations That Matter, with Celeste Headlee (episode 344)
Four Habits That Derail Listening, with Oscar Trimboli (episode 500)
How to Help Others Be Seen and Heard, with Scott Shigeoka (episode 654)

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