Oscar Trimboli still finds it uncomfortable to speak about listening, but I’m glad he has found a way to combine these two competing activities.

Oscar is an executive coach and a listening expert based in Sydney, Australia. In this episode, he talks about the cost of poor listening for individuals and organizations and the importance for leaders to help people think and listen to what’s unsaid.

This episode runs more than 90 minutes and is my longest to date, but we could easily have gone on for many more hours. One of the reasons why I enjoyed this conversation so much is because Oscar was extremely generous in sharing real-life examples of great listening. This includes the fascinating story of lung cancer oncologist Dr. Bronwyn King who used her curiosity to convince pension funds to sell off $8 billion in tobacco shares.

Here are some of the episode’s highlights with timestamps:

• 4:54 – Serena Williams, LEGO, Brexit and broken relationships: the benefit of deep listening and the costs of poor listening

• 11:06 – Eagles and snakes: how listening to the unsaid can make a world of difference

• 28:05 – The impact of power dynamics on listening

• 39:00 – Speed is great but it comes at a cost: options not explored or options not explained

• 53:08 – The importance of focus and deep breathing: what Oscar learned when training as a coach

• 1:11:55 – Getting in the right state of mind to listen (tips to apply before going into your next meeting)

For more detailed information about this episode and relevant links to people and resources, visit the show notes on www.meetingstrategist.org/oscar-trimboli

About this podcast

Welcome to Meeting Strategist. On this podcast, Marcel van de Hoef interviews professionals and thinkers from the worlds of investment, business and arts about their approach to business conversations. You'll hear inspiring stories about impactful meetings, while also learning about the strategies, tactics and mindsets these guests rely on to make meetings more productive and meaningful.

Marcel is an Amsterdam-based communication advisor and trainer and the curator of the Meeting Strategist blog. His mission is to help senior professionals think more strategically about meetings, ask better questions, improve their listening skills and have more meaningful conversations in business and life. Learn more and stay up to date at meetingstrategist.org