Did you vote in the last presidential election? Did your candidate of choice win or lose? Were you surprised? Rather than listening to people, the media listened to the polls. The cost of not listening can make you become very disconnected from things that affect you and others on a daily basis. Not listening has an impact on lives because people feel unheard.

Today's guest is Hillary Frey, director of editorial strategy at HuffPost. She is challenging you to talk to someone and ask them a question, then actually take a moment and listen to their answer. It's easy to make a gesture toward listening and caring. So, slow down and get past checking the box by asking a question, just to be considerate. It takes effort and practice, but becomes easier. Hear what is being said. Listening offers inspiration and bonding.

Tune in to Learn

• Huffington Post did a Listen to America tour to interview people about the last presidential election and to teach young journalists how to listen deeply and without judgement to stories.
• Hillary shares her journey to becoming a news editor. She enjoys listening to her reporters report stories. The best reporters ask the fewest questions, but they ask the right questions.
• Hillary's passion is listening because everybody has a story. You can find yourself moved and engaged by a story you didn't know existed.
• On the tour, HuffPost did not go in with an idea about what to ask, but made interviews as open-ended as possible to get people to share their stories.
• The bus tour was an opportunity that would help HuffPost talk directly to people and approach journalism differently than it had been done in the past.
• People wanted to talk about serious topics and issues that are deeply personal to them, such as education and health care.
• People were eager to share their stories and opinions. They had something to say.
• The tour was open to the public, but HuffPost also wanted to meet with specific communities, including the deaf and poor.
• HuffPost workers approached interviews in their own way. Some would ask, "What's on your mind today?" Or, "Why are you here?"
• Interviews were brief to be able to talk to as many people as possible. About 1,500 recorded interviews were conducted.
• Consistent patterns from the interviews were people's gratitude for being heard.
• Where you go is critical to listen to specific people and communities.
• Experiencing empathy and understanding makes for better journalists and reporters, and being a better person.
• As a result of the tour, HuffPost gave young journalists with little experience in the field to do reporting and look for great stories.
• HuffPost wants to make sure to continue interviewing and getting stories from various communities to cover the country better and differently.
• There are stories happening across the country that are of national importance but are missed because of the way media works.
• Our interactions with each other, especially at work, are usually superficial and a formality. Pull the threads of the conversation for it to be meaningful.
• Create a daily life where your force yourself to listen to people. It changes from being work to being a privilege.

Links and Resources:

Hillary Frey

Huffington Post

Quotes:

"It's so easy to make the gesture towards listening and caring." Hillary Frey

"The best reporters ask the fewest questions, but they ask the right questions." Hillary Frey

"You can find yourself just so moved and engaged by a story you didn't even know existed." Hillary Frey

Want to create a big impact? Subscribe to the Deep Listening podcast and never miss an episode.

If you have any suggestions, questions or recommendations for people to interview for podcast please email [email protected].

Listen For Free

Did you vote in the last presidential election? Did your candidate of choice win or lose? Were you surprised? Rather than listening to people, the media listened to the polls. The cost of not listening can make you become very disconnected from things that affect you and others on a daily basis. Not listening has an impact on lives because people feel unheard.

Today’s guest is Hillary Frey, director of editorial strategy at HuffPost. She is challenging you to talk to someone and ask them a question, then actually take a moment and listen to their answer.

It’s easy to make a gesture toward listening and caring. So, slow down and get past checking the box by asking a question, just to be considerate. It takes effort and practice, but becomes easier. Hear what is being said. Listening offers inspiration and bonding.

Tune in to Learn

• Huffington Post did a Listen to America tour to interview people about the last presidential election and to teach young journalists how to listen deeply and without judgement to stories.
• Hillary shares her journey to becoming a news editor. She enjoys listening to her reporters report stories. The best reporters ask the fewest questions, but they ask the right questions.
• Hillary’s passion is listening because everybody has a story. You can find yourself moved and engaged by a story you didn’t know existed.
• On the tour, HuffPost did not go in with an idea about what to ask, but made interviews as open-ended as possible to get people to share their stories.
• The bus tour was an opportunity that would help HuffPost talk directly to people and approach journalism differently than it had been done in the past.
• People wanted to talk about serious topics and issues that are deeply personal to them, such as education and health care.
• People were eager to share their stories and opinions. They had something to say.
• The tour was open to the public, but HuffPost also wanted to meet with specific communities, including the deaf and poor.
• HuffPost workers approached interviews in their own way. Some would ask, “What’s on your mind today?” Or, “Why are you here?”
• Interviews were brief to be able to talk to as many people as possible. About 1,500 recorded interviews were conducted.
• Consistent patterns from the interviews were people’s gratitude for being heard.
• Where you go is critical to listen to specific people and communities.
• Experiencing empathy and understanding makes for better journalists and reporters, and being a better person.
• As a result of the tour, HuffPost gave young journalists with little experience in the field to do reporting and look for great stories.
• HuffPost wants to make sure to continue interviewing and getting stories from various communities to cover the country better and differently.
• There are stories happening across the country that are of national importance but are missed because of the way media works.
• Our interactions with each other, especially at work, are usually superficial and a formality. Pull the threads of the conversation for it to be meaningful.
• Create a daily life where your force yourself to listen to people. It changes from being work to being a privilege.

Links and Resources:

Hillary Frey

Huffington Post

Quotes:

“It’s so easy to make the gesture towards listening and caring.” Hillary Frey

“The best reporters ask the fewest questions, but they ask the right questions.” Hillary Frey

“You can find yourself just so moved and engaged by a story you didn’t even know existed.” Hillary Frey

Want to create a big impact? Subscribe to the Deep Listening podcast and never miss an episode.

If you have any suggestions, questions or recommendations for people to interview for podcast please email [email protected].

Listen For Free

When you are told that "you have cancer," your mind just goes blank. Vanessa Oshima had this experience when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Vanessa's doctor started to systematically go through what she needed to communicate. She had moved on to fixing things, but Vanessa was still stuck on the word "cancer" and not believing it, so she stopped listening. Vanessa, president and founder of Heart Data, describes what it was like to be diagnosed with cancer and what that meant for her as a patient. Having cancer is a physical, emotional, and social journey that affects not only the patient, but their family, friends, colleagues - a whole community.Also, from living in Japan, Vanessa explains how the Japanese listen differently than Westerners. She found that Westerners are too quick to rush and not listen to what is said and what is not said. The Japanese culture focuses on judgement and filters that impede great listening.Market research lets companies listen to customers every day. But do they choose to listen?

Tune in to Learn

• Vanessa describes the aspects of her physical, emotional, and social journey. Not being able to do what she used to do. She was holding on too tight to pre-cancer life and not understanding that life would be different now.
• While Vanessa was stunned at the news of having cancer, luckily her husband was with her and was able to take notes on what her doctor was saying about it.
• Vanessa learned that when delivering tough news, rather than being very dry, it should be done in a very thoughtful and empathetic way.
• When you need to communicate something but don't stop to make sure the listener (person or audience) is hearing you, then that becomes ineffective communication. You're talking, but they are not listening.
• To do things differently and prepare a listener for tough news is first asking them about their mindset. Find out what's important to the listener. Give them time to grasp what is happening and how they want to proceed.
• Gauge what is said but also what is not said to help someone deal with difficult news.
• In market research, it's important to acknowledge patterns and people's comments to let the listener know that they have been heard. React to a reaction.
• Communication is not just words. But how often are we actually watching and listening? Not enough.
• The Japanese culture is very zen and considerate. With the Japanese, you need to listen to what is unsaid and pick up information through actions, such as when they take in a breath of air. They are aware of their surroundings and details, which allows them to listen.
• Westerners who travel to Japan should not take everything at face value. In Japan, there is much more context and meaning. Take time to learn and listen to the cultural context.
• Avoid judging others. Vanessa had her own definition of equality and thought Japanese women were not being treated equally and that was discrimination. However, after conducting research, she discovered that was not true. The Japanese define equality differently. You can fail to listen because you have biases.
• Companies often invest a lot of money into listening consumers. But how well do they listen? Companies track what they want to know about, but not necessarily what the consumer wants to tell them. Also, too much data is tracked, so not all of it is used.
• The market research industry is evolving to understand what companies need to listen for. Consumers are making information available to companies every day - if they choose to listen to it.
• Listen to every complaint to figure out what you need to do - that is market research. Everybody should be a researcher and use data. There are techniques to listen for the right things and find the signal, not the noise.
• Market research is listening to your consumers, creating data around your consumers, and understanding your consumers.
• There is so much data available. We need to understand how to use and listen to it.
• While at Coca-Cola, Vanessa taught people how to listen and ask questions to make sure they were good listeners. She used the stream of consciousness technique - just letting a person talk. They remember things that were important, and you ask them about what they said.
• Don't ask "Why" because it makes people have to defend their point of view. It is more inviting to say, "I want to understand" rather than "I don't understand." Make market research inviting and engaging.
• Sometimes, consumers cannot communicate what they want to say.

Links and Resources:

Vanessa Oshima on LinkedIn

Quotes:

When you are giving tough news, that level of conversation has to be very thoughtful. - Vanessa

Everybody says communication is not just words, and they are so right. - Vanessa

Want to create a big impact? Subscribe to the Deep Listening podcast and never miss an episode.

If you have any suggestions, questions or recommendations for people to interview for podcast please email [email protected].

Listen For Free

When you are told that “you have cancer,” your mind just goes blank. Vanessa Oshima had this experience when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Vanessa’s doctor started to systematically go through what she needed to communicate. She had moved on to fixing things, but Vanessa was still stuck on the word “cancer” and not believing it, so she stopped listening.

Vanessa, president and founder of Heart Data, describes what it was like to be diagnosed with cancer and what that meant for her as a patient. Having cancer is a physical, emotional, and social journey that affects not only the patient, but  their family, friends, colleagues - a whole community.

Also, from living in Japan, Vanessa explains how the Japanese listen differently than Westerners. She found that Westerners are too quick to rush and not listen to what is said and what is not said. The Japanese culture focuses on judgement and filters that impede great listening.

Market research lets companies listen to customers every day. But do they choose to listen?

Tune in to Learn

• Vanessa describes the aspects of her physical, emotional, and social journey. Not being able to do what she used to do. She was holding on too tight to pre-cancer life and not understanding that life would be different now.
• While Vanessa was stunned at the news of having cancer, luckily her husband was with her and was able to take notes on what her doctor was saying about it.
• Vanessa learned that when delivering tough news, rather than being very dry, it should be done in a very thoughtful and empathetic way.
• When you need to communicate something but don’t stop to make sure the listener (person or audience) is hearing you, then that becomes ineffective communication. You’re talking, but they are not listening.
• To do things differently and prepare a listener for tough news is first asking them about their mindset. Find out what’s important to the listener. Give them time to grasp what is happening and how they want to proceed.
• Gauge what is said but also what is not said to help someone deal with difficult news.
• In market research, it’s important to acknowledge patterns and people’s comments to let the listener know that they have been heard. React to a reaction.
• Communication is not just words. But how often are we actually watching and listening? Not enough.
• The Japanese culture is very zen and considerate. With the Japanese, you need to listen to what is unsaid and pick up information through actions, such as when they take in a breath of air. They are aware of their surroundings and details, which allows them to listen.
• Westerners who travel to Japan should not take everything at face value. In Japan, there is much more context and meaning. Take time to learn and listen to the cultural context.
• Avoid judging others. Vanessa had her own definition of equality and thought Japanese women were not being treated equally and that was discrimination. However, after conducting research, she discovered that was not true. The Japanese define equality differently. You can fail to listen because you have biases.
• Companies often invest a lot of money into listening consumers. But how well do they listen? Companies track what they want to know about, but not necessarily what the consumer wants to tell them. Also, too much data is tracked, so not all of it is used.
• The market research industry is evolving to understand what companies need to listen for. Consumers are making information available to companies every day - if they choose to listen to it.
• Listen to every complaint to figure out what you need to do - that is market research. Everybody should be a researcher and use data. There are techniques to listen for the right things and find the signal, not the noise.
• Market research is listening to your consumers, creating data around your consumers, and understanding your consumers.
• There is so much data available. We need to understand how to use and listen to it.
• While at Coca-Cola, Vanessa taught people how to listen and ask questions to make sure they were good listeners. She used the stream of consciousness technique - just letting a person talk. They remember things that were important, and you ask them about what they said.  
• Don’t ask “Why” because it makes people have to defend their point of view. It is more inviting to say, “I want to understand” rather than “I don’t understand.” Make market research inviting and engaging.
• Sometimes, consumers cannot communicate what they want to say.

Links and Resources:

Vanessa Oshima on LinkedIn

Quotes:

When you are giving tough news, that level of conversation has to be very thoughtful. - Vanessa

Everybody says communication is not just words, and they are so right. - Vanessa

Want to create a big impact? Subscribe to the Deep Listening podcast and never miss an episode.

If you have any suggestions, questions or recommendations for people to interview for podcast please email [email protected].

Listen For Free

In low context, "No" means no. "Yes" means yes. I say what I mean, and I mean what I say. I get to the point, and I am direct. High-context is less clear. Contextual is not only about what is said but how it is said....the tone, pitch, facial expressions, etc.

It is important to know your own culture before you can understand someone else's culture. Today's guest is Tom Verghese, a cross-cultural consultant. Tom expresses the importance of listening for meaning, what's unsaid, and use of silence.

We live in a globalized world, yet we spend very little time reflecting on our own culture. So, most of us are unable to articulate our own cultural values. To be a culturally intelligent leader, it is critical to understand your own cultural values.

How can you close a deal by listening to another culture? In this episode, Tom describes how things work across cultures. He is committed to greater understanding across cultures.

Tune in to Learn

• Tom addresses differences between cultures, such as when scheduling meetings. People can listen carefully to what's being discussed, rather than spending all their time paying attention to the clock.
• In some cultures, it is difficult for people to challenge, speak up, have an opinion...unless they are asked or invited to do so.
• How do you move forward into the senior level of the glass ceiling? It's not about your education or how hard you worked, it is about the unsaid.
• It's about whether people you meet with will trust you, if you will know what to do and use during formal dinners - unspoken things.
• How do we learn that? Seek sponsorship, guidance, and coaching to learn the rules of the games when it comes to different cultures.
• It can be as simple as how to shake hands. When Tom first came to Australia to sell encyclopedias door-to-door, he sold nothing. His manager taught him how to properly shake hands there for people to view him as trustworthy, sincere, and reliable - that all comes from a handshake.
• However, coming from Malasia, Tom had been giving a gentle handshake. There was a clash, and he was giving the wrong impressions.
• Handshakes and eye contact are non-verbal forms of communication that matter in different cultures.
• There are differences in high vs. low-context communication styles. It is not just about what is said, but non-verbal communication, as well. The message is not in what is said, but what is not being said.
• Silence comes into play because there are a lot more gaps when determining when to respond and what to listen for. In Western culture, there are social cues. For example, one person speaks and the other person pauses. In other cultures, there is overlap where people speak at the same time and on top of each other.
• A gap of silence demonstrates a level of respect. This can be very challenging for some people.
• Went Tom and a client went to Korea for a meeting in the banking industry, his client found it difficult to not over-talk. He found it a lot easier to talk about what to do in different cultures, than to actually do what you are supposed to do in the moment.
• This experience helped Tom to improve his coaching techniques by having clients ask a question and then perform a physical movement as a way to keep quiet - become comfortable in the silence.
• Watch and listen for indicators that typically go over your head. Make sure to ask follow-up questions to move toward action.
• Years ago, it was about cross-cultural effectiveness: how to deal with different cultures. Now, the focus is on cultural intelligence - how to deal with people from different cultural backgrounds. For example, someone may look Chinese, but they were raised in America, studied in Spain, and married someone from Norway.
• It comes down to deep listening - how do I listen for the message behind the words?
• How do you start a meeting that is conscious of all cultures present? Establish agreements, ground rules, and a belief system. For example, agree on a specific time standard, ie. British, India, etc.
• If you work with language interpreters, Tom's advice is to speak less.
• Be careful. Jokes are very difficult to translate across different cultures.
• The person who breaks the rules is the person who does n, which creates angst.
• Different cultures treat conflict differently. Conflict involves different points of agreement and view. When dealing with someone who has a different view, disagree gently and in ways that maintain relationships.
• Be interested in the other and what they are saying. Everyone has a story. Listen to that story.

Links and Resources:

Cultural Synergies

Cultural Synergies LinkedIn

Quotes:

It's all of the things that's the unsaid, which is really around organizational culture. - Tom

Sometimes the message is not in what's being said, but what's not being said. - Tom

Want to create a big impact? Subscribe to the Deep Listening podcast and never miss an episode.

If you have any suggestions, questions or recommendations for people to interview for podcast please email [email protected].

Listen For Free

In low context, “No” means no. “Yes” means yes. I say what I mean, and I mean what I say. I get to the point, and I am direct. High-context is less clear. Contextual is not only about what is said but how it is said....the tone, pitch, facial expressions, etc.

It is important to know your own culture before you can understand someone else’s culture. Today’s guest is Tom Verghese, a cross-cultural consultant. Tom expresses the importance of listening for meaning, what’s unsaid, and use of silence.

We live in a globalized world, yet we spend very little time reflecting on our own culture. So, most of us are unable to articulate our own cultural values. To be a culturally intelligent leader, it is critical to understand your own cultural values.

How can you close a deal by listening to another culture? In this episode, Tom describes how things work across cultures. He is committed to greater understanding across cultures.

Tune in to Learn

• Tom addresses differences between cultures, such as when scheduling meetings. People can listen carefully to what’s being discussed, rather than spending all their time paying attention to the clock.
• In some cultures, it is difficult for people to challenge, speak up, have an opinion...unless they are asked or invited to do so.
• How do you move forward into the senior level of the glass ceiling? It’s not about your education or how hard you worked, it is about the unsaid.
• It’s about whether people you meet with will trust you, if you will know what to do and use during formal dinners - unspoken things.
• How do we learn that? Seek sponsorship, guidance, and coaching to learn the rules of the games when it comes to different cultures.
• It can be as simple as how to shake hands. When Tom first came to Australia to sell encyclopedias door-to-door, he sold nothing. His manager taught him how to properly shake hands there for people to view him as trustworthy, sincere, and reliable - that all comes from a handshake.  
• However, coming from Malasia, Tom had been giving a gentle handshake. There was a clash, and he was giving the wrong impressions.
• Handshakes and eye contact are non-verbal forms of communication that matter in different cultures.
• There are differences in high vs. low-context communication styles. It is not just about what is said, but non-verbal communication, as well. The message is not in what is said, but what is not being said.
• Silence comes into play because there are a lot more gaps when determining when to respond and what to listen for. In Western culture, there are social cues. For example, one person speaks and the other person pauses. In other cultures, there is overlap where people speak at the same time and on top of each other.
• A gap of silence demonstrates a level of respect. This can be very challenging for some people.
• Went Tom and a client went to Korea for a meeting in the banking industry, his client found it difficult to not over-talk. He found it a lot easier to talk about what to do in different cultures, than to actually do what you are supposed to do in the moment.
• This experience helped Tom to improve his coaching techniques by having clients ask a question and then perform a physical movement as a way to keep quiet - become comfortable in the silence.
• Watch and listen for indicators that typically go over your head. Make sure to ask follow-up questions to move toward action.
• Years ago, it was about cross-cultural effectiveness: how to deal with different cultures. Now, the focus is on cultural intelligence - how to deal with people from different cultural backgrounds. For example, someone may look Chinese, but they were raised in America, studied in Spain, and married someone from Norway.
• It comes down to deep listening - how do I listen for the message behind the words?
• How do you start a meeting that is conscious of all cultures present? Establish agreements, ground rules, and a belief system. For example, agree on a specific time standard, ie. British, India, etc.
• If you work with language interpreters, Tom’s advice is to speak less.
• Be careful. Jokes are very difficult to translate across different cultures.
• The person who breaks the rules is the person who does n, which creates angst.
• Different cultures treat conflict differently. Conflict involves different points of agreement and view. When dealing with someone who has a different view, disagree gently and in ways that maintain relationships.
• Be interested in the other and what they are saying. Everyone has a story. Listen to that story.

Links and Resources:

Cultural Synergies

Cultural Synergies LinkedIn

Quotes:

It’s all of the things that’s the unsaid, which is really around organizational culture. - Tom

Sometimes the message is not in what’s being said, but what’s not being said. - Tom

Want to create a big impact? Subscribe to the Deep Listening podcast and never miss an episode.

If you have any suggestions, questions or recommendations for people to interview for podcast please email [email protected].

Listen For Free

Designers understand the importance of drawing, but what about note taking to visually capture ideas, experiences, and information? What really matters in a conversation? Mike Rohde shares how sketchnoting has changed his life. Listening is at the heart of what he learned about it. By listening, Mike is able to form an analysis of what he is hearing to visually draw it. He makes an impact beyond words.

Mike is a user experience designer, author, and creator of a listening language called, Sketchnoting. He comes from a long line of listeners, including his father and mother. From them, Mike learned the value of observing, asking questions, awareness of others, and additional listening skills. Also, a few of his teachers and others at college, including jazz radio disc jockey Howard Austin, helped guide his career. Howard could be tough but understanding. He made Mike strive for quality standards. For example, during college, Mike became passionate about a project for Howard where he researched Leica cameras because he was fascinated by photography. He produced an audio/visual slideshow featuring handmade illustrations. Howard seemed pleased and impressed.Now, Mike's work stretches across the whole spectrum from user testing to designing an interface to make things look right and work properly.

In this episode, Mike discusses the process of facilitating a group of people to listen to what users and an organization need. The first step is to create a script to test on the users. What do you want to discover about your application? Users are observed using the application and notes and videos are captured. What are the patterns? The information leads designers to finding solutions.

Tune in to Learn

• It is beneficial to see people using applications and products to determine what works well and what needs to be improved. Discussions are held to find solutions to issues.
• Mike leads whiteboarding sessions for his team to spend time discussing an application before user testing.
• Mike shares examples of when end users or staff members had a transformational impact on an application after discussing or testing it.
• You don't want end users to struggle with an application and simply give up on using it. Often, it involves listening to what is unsaid. Testing identifies such issues, and lets a team immediately regroup to solve issues and test again.
• Mike has authored two books: The Sketchnote Workbook and The Sketchbook Handbook. His books help people to listen properly and simplify what they hear when taking notes.
• Mike had been frustrated about his own notetaking - he was good at it, but hated doing it. He wrote too many details and in too big of a book. He never wanted to reread his notes or analyze them. He discovered tips and tricks, including using a smaller notebook and writing fewer details. He started to analyze and listen to what was valuable enough to be captured. He started to draw pictures instead of writing, which he began to refer to as sketchnoting.
• Mike discusses the process of printing his books, from understanding the content, deciding how to lay it out, handling production work, and creating illustrations.
• He wanted to create a community through his sketchnoting books, where he could spread the concept to others and make it adaptable. The community is warm and encouraging - creating a generous spirit. It is a gift and legacy from Mike.

Links and Resources:

Sketchnotes; The Sketchnote Workbook and The Sketchnote Handbook

Leica cameras

Howard Austin at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC)

Quotes:

Listening is the real secret weapon of sketchnoting.- Mike

The trick is you can't give the answers. When they struggle, you start to see revelations. - Mike

Want to create a big impact? Subscribe to the Deep Listening podcast and never miss an episode.

If you have any suggestions, questions or recommendations for people to interview for podcast please email [email protected].

Listen For Free

Designers understand the importance of drawing, but what about note taking to visually capture ideas, experiences, and information? What really matters in a conversation? Mike Rohde shares how sketchnoting has changed his life. Listening is at the heart of what he learned about it. By listening, Mike is able to form an analysis of what he is hearing to visually draw it. He makes an impact beyond words.

Mike is a user experience designer, author, and creator of a listening language called, Sketchnoting. He comes from a long line of listeners, including his father and mother. From them, Mike learned the value of observing, asking questions, awareness of others, and additional listening skills. Also, a few of his teachers and others at college, including jazz radio disc jockey Howard Austin, helped guide his career.

Howard could be tough but understanding. He made Mike strive for quality standards. For example, during college, Mike became passionate about a project for Howard where he researched Leica cameras because he was fascinated by photography. He produced an audio/visual slideshow featuring handmade illustrations. Howard seemed pleased and impressed.

Now, Mike’s work stretches across the whole spectrum from user testing to designing an interface to make things look right and work properly.

In this episode, Mike discusses the process of facilitating a group of people to listen to what users and an organization need. The first step is to create a script to test on the users. What do you want to discover about your application? Users are observed using the application and notes and videos are captured. What are the patterns? The information leads designers to finding solutions.

Tune in to Learn

• It is beneficial to see people using applications and products to determine what works well and what needs to be improved. Discussions are held to find solutions to issues.
• Mike leads whiteboarding sessions for his team to spend time discussing an application before user testing.
• Mike shares examples of when end users or staff members had a transformational impact on an application after discussing or testing it.
• You don’t want end users to struggle with an application and simply give up on using it. Often, it involves listening to what is unsaid. Testing identifies such issues, and lets a team immediately regroup to solve issues and test again.
• Mike has authored two books: The Sketchnote Workbook and The Sketchbook Handbook. His books help people to listen properly and simplify what they hear when taking notes.
• Mike had been frustrated about his own notetaking - he was good at it, but hated doing it. He wrote too many details and in too big of a book. He never wanted to reread his notes or analyze them. He discovered tips and tricks, including using a smaller notebook and writing fewer details. He started to analyze and listen to what was valuable enough to be captured. He started to draw pictures instead of writing, which he began to refer to as sketchnoting.
• Mike discusses the process of printing his books, from understanding the content, deciding how to lay it out, handling production work, and creating illustrations.
• He wanted to create a community through his sketchnoting books, where he could spread the concept to others and make it adaptable. The community is warm and encouraging - creating a generous spirit. It is a gift and legacy from Mike.

Links and Resources:

Sketchnotes; The Sketchnote Workbook and The Sketchnote Handbook

Leica cameras

Howard Austin at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC)

Quotes:

Listening is the real secret weapon of sketchnoting.- Mike

The trick is you can’t give the answers. When they struggle, you start to see revelations. - Mike

Want to create a big impact? Subscribe to the Deep Listening podcast and never miss an episode.

If you have any suggestions, questions or recommendations for people to interview for podcast please email [email protected].

Listen For Free

Most organizations, which are groups of people led by someone, are poor at listening. But the tone at the top drives it all. As a leader, if you don't listen to both verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as proactively engage others, then your approach or method of listening will not cascade through your organization and down to customers. Create a connection that is powerful and deep. Karen Borg is a commercial businessperson who discusses the role of market research in commercial organizations and how money is wasted by repeating research and ignoring what customers are saying.

Karen brings many different perspectives on how to listen to different opinions to reach a great outcome. What are the roles involved with listening? As a result, you may have to change what you are saying.

While in boarding school in Germany, teachers taught Karen about listening. In the German language, there is a formal and informal use of "you." The language and the culture is more of a formal way of communicating. Therefore, listening is predicated on whether you are being addressed formally or informally.

Concessions are made for people who have not grown up in such a culture. But you should consider certain things when interacting with someone from another culture. Such as, appreciate any effort someone has made to understand your culture. If they don't put forth effort, then others may view their engagement style as insulting and inappropriate. Karen describes the importance of appreciating and respecting different cultures and demonstrating that you want to learn more.

Tune in to Learn

• Karen describes the difference in commerce cultures in the East and elsewhere, such as whether to shake hands or not.
• In Japan, Karen went to a supermarket and thought she bought some kind of dried fish. She shared it with others, which made meetings with them much easier because they had shared something together.
• Karen attended boarding school in Germany, in a culture where she knew nothing about it. She was very much a foreigner. Eventually, she could listen to others who were speaking German and understand everything they were saying. Her experience in Germany, though, helped her to become independent and adaptable.
• Karen was born in Australia, and eventually moved back there. When she returned to Australia, she discovered how much more informal and acknowledging teachers were in schools.
• Karen moved from academic learning into commerce, which took her to some amazing far and away places. She wanted to experience the intersection of commerce and creativity, so she first got into advertising.
• Business is about the delivery of outcomes. Ultimately, you have to deliver results. Customers, shareholders, and others expect that.
• Briefing Process: To write a good brief is an art. Language, when well used, can tell a very clear story about the objective you are trying to achieve. When briefs are done poorly, the outcomes can be diabolical. People are not well-trained in how to articulate their thoughts and structure briefs.
• A common element across all great briefs is when you start out with the end in sight - what you are trying to achieve. Develop the structure of the objective first, and then fill around it.
• Karen decided to move away from advertising to become a client instead, where she could experience owning everything - from making decisions to handling budgets. She went to a chocolate company to learn how to build and maintain a business.
• Money is often wasted on market research. Hear what the customer said and do what the customer asked. Customers are usually emotionally attached to specific brands and products. Determine whether research results have changed or not and how people view the packaging and products - do they find them tiring or not. It's the trusted and the loved that keeps customers coming back.
• Nobody has bad memories, only good, about confectionary - sunny times and good feelings.
• Karen shares an experience with a dissatisfied customer in a hospital in Japan about a sterilization product and a lightbulb malfunctioning in it. In Japanese culture, a product must work the same way, every time. When it does not work the way it should, a customer's anger becomes intense. In response, Karen was sincere, apologized, and expressed that she would try to solve the problem. She listened to the customer and acknowledged their frustration. It comes down to cultural norms.
• Organizations are typically poor at listening and engaging others, and that approach comes from the top. The leader of an organization setting up metrics around customers and their needs that need to be followed, measured, and responded to quickly via dialogue.
• Leaders are listeners who consider what others say and offer support. Trust that the other person has heard you and is willing to respond in some way. Judge by action, not words.
• Set up an engagement model that works for everyone. Acknowledge that something needs to be addressed, but not calling it out or identifying the "elephant in the room." So that in ends positively and resolves issues.

Links and Resources:

Karen Borg

Rowntree Hoadley Factory; Nestlé

Haribo Gummy Bears

Volkswagen

Mars and Coke

Johnson & Johnson

Quotes:

"By opening yourself up and demonstrating you want to learn more, people want to share more." - Karen Borg

"It's an art to say just enough, not too much, not too little." - Karen Borg

Want to create a big impact? Subscribe to the Deep Listening podcast and never miss an episode.

If you have any suggestions, questions or recommendations for people to interview for podcast please email [email protected].

Listen For Free

Most organizations, which are groups of people led by someone, are poor at listening. But the tone at the top drives it all. As a leader, if you don’t listen to both verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as proactively engage others, then your approach or method of listening will not cascade through your organization and down to customers. Create a connection that is powerful and deep. Karen Borg is a commercial businessperson who discusses the role of market research in commercial organizations and how money is wasted by repeating research and ignoring what customers are saying.

Karen brings many different perspectives on how to listen to different opinions to reach a great outcome. What are the roles involved with listening? As a result, you may have to change what you are saying.

While in boarding school in Germany, teachers taught Karen about listening. In the German language, there is a formal and informal use of “you.” The language and the culture is more of a formal way of communicating. Therefore, listening is predicated on whether you are being addressed formally or informally.

Concessions are made for people who have not grown up in such a culture. But you should consider certain things when interacting with someone from another culture. Such as, appreciate any effort someone has made to understand your culture. If they don’t put forth effort, then others may view their engagement style as insulting and inappropriate. Karen describes the importance of appreciating and respecting different cultures and demonstrating that you want to learn more.

Tune in to Learn

• Karen describes the difference in commerce cultures in the East and elsewhere, such as whether to shake hands or not.
• In Japan, Karen went to a supermarket and thought she bought some kind of dried fish. She shared it with others, which made meetings with them much easier because they had shared something together.
• Karen attended boarding school in Germany, in a culture where she knew nothing about it. She was very much a foreigner. Eventually, she could listen to others who were speaking German and understand everything they were saying. Her experience in Germany, though, helped her to become independent and adaptable.
• Karen was born in Australia, and eventually moved back there. When she returned to Australia, she discovered how much more informal and acknowledging teachers were in schools.
• Karen moved from academic learning into commerce, which took her to some amazing far and away places. She wanted to experience the intersection of commerce and creativity, so she first got into advertising.
• Business is about the delivery of outcomes. Ultimately, you have to deliver results. Customers, shareholders, and others expect that.
• Briefing Process: To write a good brief is an art. Language, when well used, can tell a very clear story about the objective you are trying to achieve. When briefs are done poorly, the outcomes can be diabolical. People are not well-trained in how to articulate their thoughts and structure briefs.
• A common element across all great briefs is when you start out with the end in sight - what you are trying to achieve. Develop the structure of the objective first, and then fill around it.
• Karen decided to move away from advertising to become a client instead, where she could experience owning everything - from making decisions to handling budgets. She went to a chocolate company to learn how to build and maintain a business.
• Money is often wasted on market research. Hear what the customer said and do what the customer asked. Customers are usually emotionally attached to specific brands and products. Determine whether research results have changed or not and how people view the packaging and products - do they find them tiring or not. It’s the trusted and the loved that keeps customers coming back.
• Nobody has bad memories, only good, about confectionary - sunny times and good feelings.
• Karen shares an experience with a dissatisfied customer in a hospital in Japan about a sterilization product and a lightbulb malfunctioning in it. In Japanese culture, a product must work the same way, every time. When it does not work the way it should, a customer’s anger becomes intense. In response, Karen was sincere, apologized, and expressed that she would try to solve the problem. She listened to the customer and acknowledged their frustration. It comes down to cultural norms.
• Organizations are typically poor at listening and engaging others, and that approach comes from the top. The leader of an organization setting up metrics around customers and their needs that need to be followed, measured, and responded to quickly via dialogue.  
• Leaders are listeners who consider what others say and offer support. Trust that the other person has heard you and is willing to respond in some way. Judge by action, not words.
• Set up an engagement model that works for everyone. Acknowledge that something needs to be addressed, but not calling it out or identifying the “elephant in the room.” So that in ends positively and resolves issues.

Links and Resources:

Karen Borg

Rowntree Hoadley Factory; Nestlé

Haribo Gummy Bears

Volkswagen

Mars and Coke

Johnson & Johnson

Quotes:

“By opening yourself up and demonstrating you want to learn more, people want to share more.” - Karen Borg

“It’s an art to say just enough, not too much, not too little.” - Karen Borg

Want to create a big impact? Subscribe to the Deep Listening podcast and never miss an episode.

If you have any suggestions, questions or recommendations for people to interview for podcast please email [email protected].

Listen For Free