Listen Like You Mean It

This is a book about generosity and dignity, about caring enough to actually let the truth come through. In the race to build the next big thing, too often we forget to build the right thingCould there be a more relevant book for our times? While there are plenty of books on persuasion, none tells us how to influence others through the quiet art of understanding. Vengoechea implores us to truly hear other people (maybe for the first time) and is the perfect author of a book on why we should listen like we mean itListen Like You Mean It brings an extremely underappreciated skill to the forefront, and illuminates practical ways we can all improve, whether we’re designing products, trying to reach an agreement, or simply listening to a friend. The world would be a better place if we all developed a listening mindsetA helpful guide to listening, especially for people in human resources or research careers who depend on keen observational skills to succeed

Listen Like You Mean It is a delight – a secret handbook for mastering communication in the work world and beyond, from a world-class expert who writes like a friend

This zestful guide will inspire readers to listen better.You know listening is one of the best ways to learn and connect, but how much time have you actually spent analyzing your style and skills? As a user experience researcher, Ximena Vengoechea specializes in the art and science of listening. Her book is full of revealing, instantly applicable ideas for leveraging your strengths and overcoming your weaknesses.A helpful guide to listening, especially for people in human resources or research careers who depend on keen observational skills to succeed.An engaging and approachable book clearly crafted by a professional communicator, this is an essential guide to listening to and truly hearing others. A helpful read for personal and professional development, or an unsubtle gift for encouraging more meaningful conversations.Drawing from her own research sessions, as well as stories from and interviews with marriage counsellors, life coaches, filmmakers, podcast hosts and other real-life listening experts, Ximena Vengoechea shows us how to listen better so that we can all feel heard, connected and understood in a world that keeps getting louder and louder.

‘Could there be a more relevant book for our times? Vengoechea implores us to truly hear other people (maybe for the first time) and is the perfect author of a book on why we should listen like we mean it’ - Nir Eyal, bestselling author of Hooked and Indistractable

Hear me out. Does this sound like you?
You end a team meeting and can’t recall a single thing that was said.
You leave a conversation with a friend feeling disconnected and unfulfilled.
You think you and your boss are on the same page, only to find out you haven’t been meeting expectations.

Fortunately, listening, like any communication skill, can be improved, and Ximena Vengoechea can show you how. As a user researcher, she has spent nearly a decade facilitating hundreds of conversations at LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest. It’s her job to uncover the truth behind how people use, and really think about, her company’s products. In Listen Like You Mean It, she reveals the tips and tricks of the trade, including:

– How to quickly build rapport with strangers
– Which questions help people unlock what they need to say
– When it’s time to throw out the script entirely
– How to recover from listener’s drain

Ximena Vengoechea is a user researcher, writer and illustrator whose work on personal and professional development has been published in Inc., Washington Post, Newsweek, Fast Company and The Muse. She previously worked at Pinterest, LinkedIn and Twitter. She currently lives in San Francisco with her family. Listen Like You Mean It is her first book.