Rethinking Communication Michael Ashford

This conversation is perhaps the most profound exploration I've ever done on the power of asking questions to understand the meaning behind words.
 
Robin Reames is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Illinois Chicago and the author of the book, "The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself: The Power of Rhetoric in Polarized Times."
 
As Robin points out in this conversation, over the past century, we've lost sight of rhetoric's power to provoke us to think more deeply about the areas in which we disagree.
 
Examining the power behind the words we choose to state our beliefs and opinions gives us a chance to communicate better and more clearly with each other. By getting to the roots of how and why we disagree, we can have helpful and constructive problem-solving dialogue.
 
You can learn more about Robin's work at https://engl.uic.edu/profiles/reames-robin/. 

Welcome to Rethinking Communication!
 
Over the past four years, I've uncovered some aspects of communication that have largely gone untaught in our traditional educational settings.
 
So, I'm pivoting this podcast to focus on how we can bridge these gaps in our collective communication skill set.
 
In this first episode under the new banner, I introduce you to six things school didn't teach you about communication that I'll strive to explore and understand better as this show progresses.
 
They are:
How to acknowledge emotions rather than letting them take over How to ask curious questions How to navigate conflict How to build support and drive change How listening is as important as speaking How to challenge your assumptions  
If you'd like to contact me, you can email me at michael@rethinkingcommunication.com or go to michaelashford.com. 

My guest in this episode is Patrick Williams, a public speaker, writer, artist, independent scholar, and educator. Patrick is the founder and CEO of Satori Innovation and the Creative Director of The Satori Institute, an arts, education, and research non-profit.
 
For more than four decades, Patrick has developed what he calls the Philosophy of Creativity, which is an approach to education and creative thinking to gain back what Patrick believes was "colonized" as children: creativity.
 
In this discussion, Patrick details the difference between specialized creativity and general creativity, and how it is approaching issues, problems, and challenges with a general creativity that unlocks new and exciting ways of connecting with ourselves and each other.
 
Check out Patrick's work at https://patrickwilliamsstaycreative.com/. 

This is an interview I did with David Bryan on his Curiosity Invited podcast. In this conversation, David and I get into the deeper reasons why I started this exploration of change, common ground, and curiosity.
 
To order a copy of my book, go to https://michaelashford.com/caniaskaquestion to get signed copy or order it on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Can-Ask-Question-Following-communication/dp/1312245492/ref=sr_1_1. 

In episode 99 of this show, Manu Meel offered up my favorite definition of empathy when he said it was the act of "making someone feel like they belong in that space with you."
 
Then, in episode 110, I explored the topic of listening and how to do it better with several guests, and we uncovered that asking questions was critical to true, real listening.
 
My guest in this episode takes both of those ideas — empathy and listening — and puts them into practice in one of the coolest ways I've seen.
 
Orly Israel began setting up Listening Tables in early 2022 as a way to hone his own listening skills while giving complete strangers the opportunity to sit down and be fully heard.
 
What he has learned from the conversations he's had since his first Listening Table is a wealth of lessons about how we can communicate well with each other, guided by respect and by setting aside the need to respond.
 
Check out Orly's work at https://thelisteningtable.com/ and follow him on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/orlyslisteningtable/
 
Listen to episode 99 with Manu Meel at https://michaelashford.com/episodes/ep-99-manu-meel-battling-political-apathy-through-building-conversational-bridges
 
Listen to episode 110, The Misunderstanding of Active Listening, at https://michaelashford.com/episodes/ep-110-the-misunderstanding-of-active-listening

What do you think you might learn about communication if you held thousands of conversations with strangers over the course of a decade?
 
Well, you don't have to wonder. My guest in this episode can tell you.
 
Back in 2015, while working as a sales rep tasked with cold-calling people who didn't want to talk to him, Rob Lawless started a side project to see if he could have conversations with complete strangers.
 
Rob set a goal: to have an hour-long chat with 10,000 people about whatever topic was most important to them that day.
 
This episode features Rob's 6,140th conversation on his way to 10,000, and it's with me.
 
We discuss many things, but perhaps most importantly, we dive into the lessons Rob has learned about communication and nuance along the way.
 
Check out Rob's work at https://www.robs10kfriends.com/ and at https://www.roblawless.com/, and follow Rob's journey on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/robs10kfriends/.