Hear, Hear: How Deeper Holiday Talk Can Bring Us All Closer. Live Demo. Q&A

Few of us truly listen or learn much about one another, especially around the holidays. We can spend hours at a gathering and feel no more connected with people than when we arrived. Some people don’t want to talk (through no fault of ours). Other times, we talk over them, or our responses shut them down. And yet active listening, understanding how we listen, and extending a conversation beyond the trite are all learnable skills. We can shift from interrogating a college student with judge-y, presumptive questions about their bedtime routine and workload to asking how their ambitions might have changed or someone who truly wowed them. Same with our elders: fear-based conversations about their health can shift to what they’re thinking about most, and why. True and memorable connection happens when we notice more, slow things down, and let curiosity guide us, with no real agenda. Led by a former international business journalist (The Economist, Financial Times, The Guardian) and ICF Master Certified Coach with 10,000+ coaching sessions with Fortune 500 leaders, this live demo and AMA will change how you see conversations at work and at home. What to Expect: Learn the listening styles (judgmental, aggressive, self-centered, incurious) that shut conversations down, or stop them before they start. Experience a Live Volley Demo: Watch a real-time, unscripted active listening demonstration with a live volunteer. See a stalling opening exchange evolve into a meaningful conversation, like a float down the river. Receive insights and training for singles navigating first dates, family reunions, or holiday cocktail parties. Interactive AMA: Bring your toughest conversational roadblocks and get live, expert advice and coaching.