Perfectly Awesome

PDF | Burden of proof has recently come to be a topic of interest in argumentation systems for artificial intelligence (Prakken and Sartor, 2006, 2007,... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate

A good first impression can make or break an opportunity or connection. Here's how to make an instant connection with anyone.

Icebreakers are corny, corporate get-to-know-you exercises. But there’s something thrilling in dispensing with small talk.

“Icebreaker of the Week” is a recurring feature of the newsletter The Art of Noticing (robwalker.substack.com). Some are icebreakers I made up or experienced or found somewhere; many are submitted by TAoN readers. After many requests, I am collecting & sharing all the icebreakers here. If you ...

Do conversations end when people want them to? Surprisingly, behavioral science provides no answer to this fundamental question about the most ubiq...

Or "Spiderman Is My Boyfriend"

Talking to someone who gets defensive can be frustrating. So, what can you do? Here's how to sidestep someone's personal fortifications.

Examples of hidden ways people drain one other’s energy in social interaction—and what to do about it

Because telling someone to shut the heck up isn’t ‘gentlemanly’ or ‘civilized’ or ‘appropriate for a 5-year-old’s birthday party, Brian, Jesus.

A conversation with a Wizard

We may have learned that we need to let people speak without interrupting but taking turns talking does not truly denote listening. And unintentionally hijacking conversations to advise, inject humor, empathize, prioritize efficiency, or insert ourselves into the speaker’s narrative is often done with good intentions, but may instead disrupt the human connection we think we’re forging. Recognizing when to shift out of our habitual styles and consciously apply alternative styles of listening and responding may allow for more effective and meaningful interactions.

Hint: It’s all to do with empathy.

If you want to help people, don’t give them advice. Do this instead.

And once you do get them to open up, don’t betray their trust.

Senior leaders, particularly CEOs, confront a central paradox in their work: They generally have access to more lines of communication than anybody else, but the information that flows to them is suspect and compromised. Warning signals are tamped down. Key facts are omitted. Data sets are given a positive spin. All of it isolates leaders in a dangerous information bubble. But they can escape that bubble, the authors argue, by working actively to create a more expansive “listening ecosystem.” They first have to learn how to listen actively themselves, without distraction or judgment, purely for comprehension; then they have to create systems and processes all around them that elevate listening to a constant state of hypervigilance. This sort of sustained attention to listening allows leaders to pick up on early signs of both danger and opportunity—and that, in turn, allows them to do their jobs and serve their organizations better. The authors conclude this piece by sharing advice—gleaned from interviews and personal experience—about how leaders can learn to listen better.

Bridge the divide with thoughtful conversation techniques, next-level listening, and a dip into the science of changing minds.

Learning to “hear offers” like an improviser can turn obstacles into opportunities.

Want to strengthen your listening skills? Here's a simple but powerful tool.