Inspiring A Listening Revolution

My good friend Bill Ury dreams of someday being out of a job. What he learned from us at Barry-Wehmiller may help make that happen.

Ury, a co-founder of Harvard’s Program on Negotiation and co-author of the international bestseller “Getting to Yes,” is one of the world’s foremost experts on conflict resolution and has spent almost thirty years helping opponents in tough negotiations find common ground. Whether civil wars, labor strikes, boardroom battles or family feuds, Ury fervently believes the key to conflict resolution is not talking, but listening.

As readers of this blog know, we at Barry-Wehmiller share a similar passion for listening’s transformative power. [Moving the Needle, Is Your Leadership an Inside Job?, How to Change Your Life in Three Days] When Bill visited Barry-Wehmiller several years ago, he learned about Communication Skills Training, the Barry-Wehmiller University course through which we teach empathetic listening. Bill observed the profound impact it was having on our company and on the personal lives of the team members who have taken it. The course has proven so powerful that we are now bringing it to communities and outside organizations.

Bill’s new TEDx Talk “The Power of Listening” was significantly influenced by his discussions with us. In it, he challenges viewers to consider the fights—even wars– that could be averted and the personal relationships that could be mended if every one of us simply committed to listening a little more and talking a little less.

He invites all of us to join a listening revolution because better listening has the power to transform every single human relationship. Barry-Wehmiller is helping to lead the way. We hope you will join us.

Watch Bill's TEDx talk through the link above.