Why is listening a vanishing art and hard to do effectively when it’s really so simple? When was the last time you viewed listening as a skill that can be taught, developed, and nurtured over time? In today’s hyper-connected, digital age of chaos, conflict, and confusion, we are more connected than ever to other people. But are we also on the brink of an epidemic of loneliness? Dan Oblinger—the author of Life or Death Listening: A Hostage Negotiator’s How-to-Guide to Mastering the Essential Communication Skill—joins us to talk about authentic listening. Dan delivers the toolkit we’re searching for—don’t miss this episode.  Outline of This Episode [4:10] Dan Oblinger’s background [5:40] Why are we starved of genuine listening? [7:59] The difference between hearing and listening  [9:55] Why does listening fade and die in our relationships? [14:31] Listen to people because of what they are—not who they are [22:00] How to develop mastery of listening [24:38] How to come to terms with a bruised ego [26:26] Dan’s 8 active-listening skills to master [29:52] How do we build an organizational culture around listening? [33:31] One more skill to practice to improve listening skills [36:53] How to connect with Dan Oblinger Connect with Dan Oblinger BOOK: Life or Death Listening BOOK: The 28 Laws of Listening LinkedIn Profile Twitter Connect With Mark Follow Negotiations Ninja on Twitter: @NegotiationPod Connect with Mark on LinkedIn Follow Negotiations Ninja on LinkedIn Connect on Instagram: @NegotiationPod Subscribe to Negotiations Ninja