Ximena Vengoechea has done a lot of listening.
Listening, it so happens, involves decoding and interpreting whatisntsaid, in addition to what actually is.
Most of us listen well enough.
Effective listening is about creating the space for others to express themselves, so you can better understand them.
Understanding others needs has proven to be very effective in my work.
a lot more interesting.
I find myself using this technique often in my approach to work.
What is this person trying to accomplish?
What role are they hoping I can play in meeting that need?
How did you manage your time during this process?
Monstrous is the right word!
In general I wouldnt recommend trying to do All The Things at once, but it happens.
Because my time was so scarce, I had to be regimented about it.
I kept a massive spreadsheet to track my progress on the book over the course of two years.
It helped me to stay organized and also motivated.
The other thing I did was honor my natural productivity cycle as much as possible.
That makes mornings a great time for me to do the actual work of writing.
From there, get curious about your conversation partner.
What can you learn about them at this moment?
What can they teach you about a given topic, experience, or themselves?
Ask follow up questions, too, to take the conversation deeper.
For example, encourage the conversation by asking, what else?
or say more about that, or tell me more.
How can someone use listening skills to better inform their own approach to work?
I think that makesmanyof our work-related conversations much easier.
Thats going to help everything from meetings to brainstorms to interviews and client presentations run smoother.
Yet writing a book is an entirely different endeavor.
