Listening is harder than it looks- but it's the difference between business success and failure. Nothing causes bad decisions in organizations as often as poor listening. But Bernard Ferrari, adviser to some of the nation's most influential executives, believes that such missteps can be avoided and that the skills and habits of good listening can be developed and mastered. He offers a step-by-step process that will help readers become active listeners, able to shape and focus any conversation. Ferrari reveals how to turn a tin ear into a platinum ear. His practical insights include: Good listening is hard work, not a passive activity Good listening means asking questions, challenging all assumptions, and understanding the context of every interaction Good listening results in a new clarity of focus, greater efficiency, and an increased likelihood of making better decisions Good listening can be the difference between a long career and a short one

Listening is critical in today’s organizations. As recent examples in the #MeToo era and numerous organizational failures and scandals illustrate, the consequences of poor listening in organizations can be significant, and in some cases, catastrophic. Listening is commonly described in terms of ethics, overlooking its strategic value. The book guides leaders and decision-makers to question the listening habits, practices, and infrastructure within their organizations. The author lays out an argument for the benefits and challenges of strategic listening. She also develops a method for internal analysis of listening capabilities and practices, and provides a framework for building and maintaining a more robust listening culture, infrastructure, and set of practices. In order to improve organizational listening, the author argues that we need to do more than improve personal listening skills, we need to design organizations to listen.

Build Richer and Stronger Relationships – Personal and Professional! People often assume that listening is easy, yet it’s the least understood communication skill. Many of us make little effort to learn or develop an ability to listen well. Poor listening is the cause of communication breakdowns in every area of life, particularly in personal relationships. This book suggests effective ways to become a better listener. TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE • understanding points of view – your own and other people’s • communication techniques and rules • the difference between hearing and listening • establishing rapport and setting boundaries • body language; how to respond, with and without words • taking risks and expressing feelings The guidance provided in The Power of Listening will help you build richer, stronger relationships. Mary Hartley is a successful writer, presenter and personal development coach specialising in people skills and communication.

Listening skills, and the perspective gained through careful listening, are more important in congregations than ever. Many factors make attentive listening a significant contributor to healthy congregations. As we enter into a post-Christendom culture, the people coming into congregations, as well as the people in the wider community, are less likely to be operating from a shared set of assumptions. With world-wide migration reshaping our communities and congregations, diverse perspectives coming from varied cultural backgrounds are also more common. The breakdown of many support structures in society has created profound pastoral care needs, making listening increasingly significant for both ministers and lay leaders. Polarization over so many issues and the increasing emphasis on story-telling in the journey of faith are two additional reasons why listening matters today. Careful and loving listening nurtures care, connection and depth, which contribute to congregational life and health. Listening to God is another aspect of listening which is gaining increased attention today. Many congregational leaders have become weary of church as a business and are looking for authentic experiences of God’s guidance. Congregations are increasingly engaging in communal discernment. Many listening skills used in human interactions are also building blocks for listening to God.

A personal narrative and guide to the safe, responsible use of MDMA for personal healing and social transformation • Details the author’s 50 years of responsible experimentation with mind-altering substances and how Ecstasy has helped him become a better therapist • Explains how he and his wife found Ecstasy to be the key to renewing and enriching their lives and marriage as they entered their senior years • Describes what the experience actually feels like and provides protocols for the safe, responsible, recreational, and celebrational use of MDMA for individuals and groups In a world that keeps us separate from each other, MDMA is the chemical of connection. Aptly known in popular culture as “Ecstasy,” MDMA helps us rediscover our own true loving nature, often obscured by the traumas of life. On its way to becoming a prescription medication due to groundbreaking research on its use to treat PTSD, Ecstasy can offer benefits for all adult life stages, from 20-somethings to seniors. In this memoir and guide to safe use, Charles Wininger, a licensed psychoanalyst and mental health counselor, details the countless ways that Ecstasy has helped him become a better therapist and husband. He recounts his coming of age in the 1960s counterculture, his 50 years of responsible experimentation with mind-altering substances, and his immersion in the new psychedelic renaissance. He explains how he and his wife found Ecstasy to be the key to renewing and enriching their lives as they entered their senior years. It also strengthened the bonds of their marriage. Countering the fearful propaganda that surrounds this drug, Wininger describes what the experience actually feels like and explores the value of Ecstasy and similar substances for helping psychologically healthy individuals live a more “optimal” life. He provides protocols for the responsible, recreational, and celebrational use of MDMA, including how to perfect the experience, maximize the benefits and minimize the risks, and how it may not be for everyone. He reveals how MDMA has revitalized his marriage, both erotically and emotionally, and describes how pleasure, fun, and joy can be profound bonding and transformative experiences. Revealing MDMA’s versatility when it comes to bringing lasting renewal, pleasure, and inspiration to one’s life, Wininger shows that recognizing the transformative power of happiness-inducing experiences can be the first step on the path to healing.

"Small Book with a Big Idea, the Power of Listening in a World of Differences," is an engaging and thought provoking book that looks at a skill most of us are born with and have to use every day, yet are we using it to its full potential? Are we aware of how our listening is impacted by the diversity that surrounds us everyday? Are we aware of how technology and multi-tasking impacts our listening? Are we aware of a how cultural difference can impact a doctor's listening? Are we aware if we're approaching a job interview or evaluation with fearful listening? These are a few of the thought-provoking questions I raise and offer a perspective that can invite us to think about listening in a way that is empowering. Many of us are familiar with the expression, think outside the box. What about listening outside the box? A high level executive of one of the largest financial institutions in the US shared a story that demonstrated listening outside the box. He and his team met with one of their biggest clients. After listening to the discussion you won't believe what he told the client and their response. In the medical profession listening is essential in meeting the medical care of a patient. How conscious are doctors and nurses of the impact diversity has on their listening and how they engage? One dramatic story is shared by a colleague of his experience in the ER room that opened his eyes to how his cultural background impacted the doctor's listening and response to his urgent medical need. We all want fulfilling personal relationships that are healthy and vibrant and allow us to express who we are. Listening plays a vital role in creating these relationships. Through personal experience and observations I share thoughts of how listening can help keep relationships alive, bring more harmony, joy and love. We all have the ability to transform our lives just by the way we listen. I hope this book can offer you a new way of listening in a world of differences that brings you more harmony, all the success your heart desires and a truly fulfilling life.