Meetings feel heavy when people stop listening, and they stop listening when the room isn’t designed for them. We sit down with Oscar Trimboli to unpack how listening truly works at work—and why it starts before a single word is spoken. From a career-defining moment in a smoky boardroom to a decade-plus of research, Oscar shares what the best listeners do differently and how leaders can turn monologues into momentum.
We dive into the four villains of listening—emotional, interrupting, distracted, and shrewd—and the simple moves that disarm them. You’ll hear why clarifying questions are a hallmark of high-performing teams, how to measure share of voice, and when rotating hosts unlocks engagement that agendas alone can’t. Oscar breaks down practical ways to build curiosity into your meetings, including live Q&A tools that let the audience vote on what matters most, and the courage to say I don’t know when that’s the most honest answer.
We also explore how to respect different listening preferences, including neurodiverse needs, by balancing story and data and by self-disclosing how you process information. The throughline is actionable: ask what will make this a good conversation, check progress midstream, and close the loop afterward so listening becomes visible. Whether you’re leading a team meeting, a cross-functional project, or a company town hall, these frameworks help you shorten meetings, surface real issues, and build trust that lasts.
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