It all starts with the universally applicable premise that people want to be understood and accepted. Listening is the cheapest, yet most effective concession we can make to get there. By listening intensely, a negotiator demonstrates empathy and shows a sincere desire to better understand what the other side is experiencing. Psychotherapy research

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Listening, though, is harder than it sounds, far more than a passive act. True attention means resisting the constant pull of distraction, with our buzzing phones, our restless minds, our urge to redirect the conversation toward ourselves. It asks for patience with silence, the humility to withhold judgment, and the courage to sit with another... See more