I See What You're Saying

Michael Reddington
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Truly becoming a great listener and influential communicator requires people to embrace the universality of the human experience. Join Certified Forensic Interviewer Michael Reddington as he speaks with experts from across the spectrum of human communication to explore how they’ve learned to listen and influence others within the context of their lives and careers. Business leaders, investigators, military leaders, scientists, social workers, athletic coaches and beyond all join Michael to share their experiences, perspectives and ideas. Every episode provides listeners with new skills, perspectives and techniques for unlocking hidden value in all of their high impact conversations and relationships.

  1. 3d ago

    How to Successfully Navigate Difficult Elder Care Conversations | Cory Fosco | Ep. 171

    What if the most loving thing you could do for someone is start a conversation you've been avoiding? In this episode, Michael Reddington sits down with Cory Fosco, a 34-year veteran of the eldercare and healthcare technology industries, author of The Question of When, creative writing teacher, and VP of Enterprise Sales. Cory brings a rare combination of frontline caregiving experience, social work roots, and sales leadership perspective to one of the most universally avoided topics in family life: planning for the care of aging loved ones before a crisis forces your hand. This conversation goes far beyond eldercare. Cory unpacks why denial and guilt keep families frozen, how the fear of messing up drives worse decisions than the fear of missing out, and why having a conversation is fundamentally different from making a decision. The parallels to sales, leadership, and any high-stakes relationship are impossible to miss. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why waiting for the "right time" to have a care conversation is itself the mistakeHow families that do the homework in advance make better decisions under crisis pressureThe difference between "fear of missing out" and "fear of messing up" and how it shows up in caregiving and salesWhy expressing love through preparation changes how families approach difficult conversationsHow having a conversation and making a decision are not the same thing -- and why that distinction mattersWhat the "When Readiness Checklist" is and how to use it to assess where your family standsWhy "it's better to do right than to be right" applies equally to caregiving, leadership, and salesHow to give people around you permission to make mistakes by modeling it yourself Chapters (00:00) Introduction to Cory Fosco and A Question of When(05:05) Why Families Wait Too Long to Have the Conversation(07:28) How We Compensate and Make Excuses for Loved Ones(10:57) How to Optimize Preparation Time and Remove Stress From Big Decisions(14:18) The Fear of Messing Up and How to Take the Risk Off the Table(24:00) Listening as the Foundation of Caregiving, Sales, and Leadership(27:39) Why It's Better to Do Right Than to Be Right(33:13) How the Book Is Structured to Meet Families Where They Are(50:21) Core Principles for Navigating Difficult Family Conversations(52:31) How to Find Cory and Access His Resources About the Guest Cory Fosco has spent over 34 years working at the intersection of long-term care, healthcare technology, and family decision-making. He began his career as a social worker, moved into admissions and senior care leadership, and now serves as VP of Enterprise Sales for one of the largest EMR platforms serving skilled nursing facilities. He is the author of A Question of When, a guide for families navigating eldercare decisions, and teaches creative writing to a wide range of students including the blind and visually impaired community through Second Sense in Chicago. Links and Resources A Question of When by Cory Fosco - https://a.co/d/0ciiLRpchttps://www.coryfosco.comFrom Values to Action by Harry Kramer - https://a.co/d/06m0h7lH Sponsor Links: InQuasive: http://www.inquasive.com/Humintell: Body Language - Reading People - HumintellEnter Code INQUASIVE25 for 25% discount on your online training purchase.International Association of Interviewers: Home (certifiedinterviewer.com) Podcast Production Services by EveryWord Media

    58 min

  2. Jun 3

    Apply a Framework Designed to Improve Influence and Communication | Joel Silverstone | Ep. 170

    What separates a leader who communicates with confidence from one who communicates with true influence? In this episode, Michael Reddington sits down with Joel Silverstone, founder of This Feels Right and a former professional actor who now coaches leaders on elevating their interpersonal communication and influence. Joel blends emotional and social intelligence with his acting background to help leaders move from confident to compelling, and the framework he shares in this conversation is immediately actionable. Joel breaks down his MOVE model, the difference between acting, reacting, and responding in real conversations, and why most people are listening to solve the problem rather than listening to understand. He also challenges the idea that validation means agreement, and explains why skipping that step is one of the most common ways leaders quietly damage trust. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why an actor's job has nothing to do with acting, and what that teaches us about presence in conversationHow the MOVE model (Mindset, Observe, Validate, Engage) creates momentum in even the most difficult conversationsThe difference between reacting and responding, and why one builds trust while the other breaks itWhy validation is not agreement, and how skipping it quietly damages relationshipsHow to listen without solving the problem, and why that skill matters more than most leaders realizeWhat the "clue bird" reveals about the moments leaders most commonly missHow to change the script when a conversation goes sideways, and why breathing is the first moveThe difference between motivating and manipulating, and how to tell which one you are actually doing Chapters: (00:00) Introduction to Joel Silverstone and the MOVE Model(04:22) Why an Actor's Job Is to Move the Other Person(06:13) Breaking Down the MOVE Model: Mindset, Observe, Validate, Engage(09:03) How to Stop Making the Other Person the Problem(13:02) Observation Skills and the Closed Circuit Camera Technique(17:14) Why Validation Is Not Agreement and How to Practice It(21:29) The "Yes, And" Framework and Listening Without Solving(26:15) Driving Engagement When Someone Won't Play Ball(31:00) How to Change the Script When Conversations Get Challenging(35:12) The Difference Between Motivating and Manipulating Links and Resources: This Feels Right - https://www.thisfeelsright.caJoel Silverstone | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-silverstone Sponsor Links: InQuasive: http://www.inquasive.com/Humintell: Body Language - Reading People - HumintellEnter Code INQUASIVE25 for 25% discount on your online training purchase.International Association of Interviewers: Home (certifiedinterviewer.com) Podcast Production Services by EveryWord Media

    46 min

  3. May 27

    Learn How to Design Decision Making Teams | Kylee Ingram | Ep. 169

    In this episode, Michael Reddington sits down with Kylee Ingram, CEO of Wizer, a decision intelligence platform built to help organizations make better decisions by designing the right room. Kylee draws on the behavioral research of Dr. Juliette Burke and the science of wise crowds to help leaders understand not just who's sitting at the table, but how they think -- and who's missing. Kylee breaks down the seven decision-making archetypes, explains why 75% of Western CEOs share just two of them, and shows how that cognitive drift quietly drains innovation and increases decision error over time. She also introduces a practical framework for adapting communication to fit how different people actually make decisions -- not just how they prefer to be addressed. What You'll Learn in This Episode What decision intelligence actually means and why it goes far beyond AI-driven analyticsThe three factors that determine who belongs in any high-stakes decision roomThe seven decision-making archetypes and why you can only truly operate from a primary and secondaryWhy achievers and explorers dominate the C-suite and what that costs organizations over timeHow social bias, information bias, and capacity bias create the blind spots that lead to catastrophic decisionsHow to identify who is missing from your decision room before the damage is doneWhy tailoring communication to someone's decision archetype produces measurably better response ratesHow the same framework used for decision-making can be applied to influence, negotiation, and difficult people Chapters (00:00) Introduction to Kylee Ingram and Wizer(03:32) Defining Decision Intelligence and Why the Room Matters(05:47) The Three Factors for Building a Better Decision Room(07:26) The Seven Decision-Making Archetypes Explained(10:15) Cognitive Drift and Why Companies Lose Diversity at the Top(14:42) The Three Biases That Create Decision Blind Spots(19:45) What Happens When Everyone in the Room Thinks the Same Way(27:34) How to Identify Who Is Missing Before a Major Decision(29:56) Applying Decision Archetypes to Communication and Influence(36:14) Working With Difficult People Through Their Decision Style Links and Resources Wizer -- https://wizer.businessWizer Snaps (free communication tool) -- https://wizer.businessKylee Ingram | LinkedIn -- https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylee-ingramThe Disciplined Listening Method by Michael Reddington -- https://a.co/d/0aKT2oxR Sponsor Links: InQuasive: http://www.inquasive.com/Humintell: Body Language - Reading People - HumintellEnter Code INQUASIVE25 for 25% discount on your online training purchase.International Association of Interviewers: Home (certifiedinterviewer.com) Podcast Production Services by EveryWord Media

    51 min

  4. May 20

    How to Grow Your Business and Earn Referrals Without Asking | Stacey Brown Randall | Ep. 168

    What if the most powerful thing you could do to grow your business was to stop asking for referrals entirely? In this episode, Michael Reddington sits down with Stacey Brown Randall, author, speaker, and host of the Roadmap to Referrals podcast. Stacey has spent over a decade helping business owners and sales professionals generate referrals without asking for them by applying brain science, psychology, and behavioral economics to how relationships are built and maintained. Stacey breaks down why asking for referrals actually works against you, what is really happening in the brain of the person who refers you, and how the right language planted at the right time can move referrals from a conscious ask into someone's subconscious. She also introduces her three-bucket framework for building a referral strategy that compounds year over year, and shares two concrete referral seeds you can start using immediately. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why asking for referrals triggers a brain response you cannot manufacture or replicateHow referrals are actually about your referral source, not about youThe three scientific principles that drive referrals beyond the psychology of trustThe difference between keeping in touch and actually moving a relationship forwardHow to segment your referral strategy across three distinct buckets of potential referral sourcesWhy using someone's name in a thank you note changes how the brain encodes the memoryHow to plant referral seeds during your client experience without it feeling forcedWhat to do when a referred prospect ghosts you before the conversation ever starts Chapters (00:00) Introduction to Stacey Brown Randall and the Referral Without Asking Framework(03:24) Why Referrals Change the Entire Dynamic of a Sales Conversation(07:03) Why You Are Never Allowed to Ask for Referrals(10:42) The Three Scientific Principles Behind How Referrals Actually Happen(15:50) The Difference Between Keeping in Touch and Moving Relationships Forward(17:37) The Three Buckets of Referral Sources and How to Approach Each One(24:43) Planting Referral Seeds vs. Asking: What the Difference Actually Looks Like(28:57) The Right and Wrong Way to Write a Referral Thank You Note(34:21) How to Build a Referable Client Experience from the Inside Out(36:40) Recovery Strategies When a Referred Prospect Ghosts You(41:44) How to Onboard a Referred Prospect Without Rushing or Ignoring Them(45:29) How to Learn More and Work with Stacey Links and Resources Stacey Brown Randall | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceybrandall/Home - Stacey Brown Randall - https://staceybrownrandall.com/The Disciplined Listening Method: How A Certified Forensic Interviewer Unlocks Hidden Value in Every Conversation - https://a.co/d/02ZfcnZm Sponsor Links: InQuasive: http://www.inquasive.com/Humintell: Body Language - Reading People - HumintellEnter Code INQUASIVE25 for 25% discount on your online training purchase.International Association of Interviewers: Home (certifiedinterviewer.com) Podcast Production Services by EveryWord Media

    50 min

  5. May 18

    Leverage Excuses, Avoid Confrontation, and Quickly Obtain the Truth | Michael Reddington | Ep. 167

    What if the excuse someone just gave you is actually the best thing that could have happened? In this solo episode, Michael Reddington breaks down one of the most misunderstood moments in any high-stakes conversation: the excuse. Most leaders instinctively attack excuses, feeling disrespected, frustrated, or deceived. But that reaction, however understandable, almost always makes things worse. Michael reframes excuses not as acts of dishonesty, but as face-saving statements that gift-wrap an admission and open the door to the truth. Drawing on his background in forensic interviewing, Michael walks through the neuroscience of why attacking excuses backfires, why accepting them creates a different set of problems, and how a precise four-step response can transform the most frustrating moment in a conversation into the expressway to accountability, root-cause clarity, and lasting behavior change. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why the part of the excuse that infuriates you is the part you should ignoreHow an excuse is actually a face-saving statement that opens the door to the truthWhy attacking an excuse puts the other person on the defensive and shuts down your learningThe four-step framework for responding to excuses without accepting or attacking themWhy "walk me through" is more effective than "help me understand"How to obtain the untainted narrative and listen for intelligence, not just informationWhy accountability holds better at the end of a conversation than at the beginningHow this approach helps you identify the real root cause, not just the surface behavior Chapters: (00:00) Introduction: The Topic That Drives Leaders Crazy(00:38) Why We Hate Excuses and What That Reaction Costs Us(03:55) The Admission Before the Because(04:54) What Excuses Actually Are: Face-Saving Statements(06:08) Why Excuses Are the Expressway to the Truth(07:04) The Problem With Attacking or Accepting(09:08) The Four-Step Framework: Thank, Name, Affirm, Ask(12:35) How to Listen for Intelligence, Not Just Information(15:18) Why This Process Works and What It Solves Long-Term Links and Resources: The Disciplined Listening Method by Michael Reddington -- https://a.co/d/0aKT2oxR Sponsor Links: InQuasive: http://www.inquasive.com/Humintell: Body Language - Reading People - HumintellEnter Code INQUASIVE25 for 25% discount on your online training purchase.International Association of Interviewers: Home (certifiedinterviewer.com) Podcast Production Services by EveryWord Media

    19 min

  6. May 13

    How to Translate Your Expertise, Become Relatable, and Earn Trust | Dr. Laura Sicola | Ep. 166

    What does it actually mean to close the gap between what you think you said and what your audience actually heard? In this episode, Michael Reddington sits down with Dr. Laura Sicola, a cognitive linguist and executive communication coach who helps leaders master communication and executive presence. Dr. Sicola works with senior leaders, business owners, and professionals across Fortune 500 companies to help them translate their expertise so it lands with clarity, credibility, and impact. This conversation is packed with practical tools for anyone who has ever walked away from a conversation wondering why their message didn't land. Dr. Sicola breaks down the expert's curse, the hidden cost of trying to sound smart, and how the alignment between your words, voice, and body language either builds or destroys credibility in real time. What You'll Learn in This Episode What the expert's curse is and why deep knowledge is often the biggest obstacle to clear communicationWhy trying to sound smart usually backfires and what to do insteadHow analogies and metaphors bypass conscious processing and create instant comprehensionThe simple one-minute video exercise that reveals the gap between your intent and your actual deliveryWhy credibility depends on aligning your verbal, vocal, and visual channelsHow to stop telegraphing your nerves without faking confidenceWhy adjusting your communication style for different audiences is not inauthenticity, it is self-awarenessHow Dr. Sicola's Listening to Understand protocol creates the conditions for genuine resolution in any conflict About the Guest Dr. Laura Sicola is a cognitive linguist, executive communication coach, and the author of Speaking to Influence. She helps leaders close the gap between what they think they said and what their audience actually heard, translating technical expertise into messages that move people to action. She is the founder of Vocal Impact Productions and speaks and coaches across industries worldwide. Chapters (00:00) Introduction to Dr. Laura Sicola and the Expert's Curse(04:32) Why Trying to Sound Smart Makes You Less Persuasive(06:07) The Most Counterintuitive Advice on Executive Communication(07:17) How to Simplify Without Dumbing It Down(17:30) Using Analogies and Metaphors to Speak to the Unconscious Mind(23:34) The One-Minute Video Exercise That Changes Everything(31:14) Verbal, Vocal, and Visual: The Three Channels of Credibility(39:42) Authenticity Is Not a Fixed Point: The Prismatic Voice Framework(45:23) The Listening to Understand Protocol Links and Resources Dr. Laura Sicola's Website: https://www.laurasicola.comSpeaking to Influence by Dr. Laura Sicola: https://laurasicola.com/shop/ Sponsor Links: InQuasive: http://www.inquasive.com/Humintell: Body Language - Reading People - HumintellEnter Code INQUASIVE25 for 25% discount on your online training purchase.International Association of Interviewers: Home (certifiedinterviewer.com) Podcast Production Services by EveryWord Media

    53 min

  7. May 11

    Surprising Factors That Create Resistance in Your Conversations | Michael Reddington | Ep. 165

    What does it actually take to see trouble coming before it derails your conversations? In this solo episode, Michael Reddington breaks down one of the foundational pillars of the Disciplined Listening Method: situational awareness. Drawing on research from Air Force scientist Mica Endsley and John Boyd's OODA loop, Michael explains how the same awareness framework used to keep pilots and soldiers safe can transform the way professionals navigate high-stakes conversations. This episode gives you a practical framework for understanding all the variables at play before, during, and after any consequential conversation. If you've ever walked away from a difficult exchange wishing you had seen it coming, this one is for you. Michael walks through the three phases of situational awareness (perception, comprehension, and projection) and maps them directly to communication strategy. He then introduces six specific factors that shape every conversation, from the assumptions we bring to the environment we choose, and explains why failing to account for any one of them is often what creates the resistance, the missed signals, and the unexpected outcomes we'd rather avoid. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why the most common situational awareness failure is not missing information, but failing to look at the right information at the right timeThe three phases of situational awareness and how to apply each one before a high-stakes conversationSix factors that shape how every conversation unfolds and why most people only consider one or two of themHow expectations and preconceived notions quietly limit your ability to observe accuratelyWhy the most consequential conversations are often the ones with the softest perceived consequencesHow goal clarity before a conversation directly determines the quality of your decisions during it Chapters (00:00) Introduction: Situational Awareness as a Communication Tool(00:54) From Physical Safety to Strategic Communication(01:52) Defining Situational Awareness Operationally(04:32) Mica Endsley's Three Phases: Perception, Comprehension, and Projection(06:12) The OODA Loop and Why You Miss What's Right in Front of You(08:27) What Blocks Situational Awareness: Distractions, Dynamics, and Assumptions(10:49) The Six Factors Shaping Every Conversation(16:36) How Awareness of All Six Factors Elevates Your Communication Strategy Links and Resources The Disciplined Listening Method by Michael Reddington -- https://a.co/d/0aKT2oxR Sponsor Links: InQuasive: http://www.inquasive.com/Humintell: Body Language - Reading People - HumintellEnter Code INQUASIVE25 for 25% discount on your online training purchase.International Association of Interviewers: Home (certifiedinterviewer.com) Podcast Production Services by EveryWord Media

    19 min

  8. May 6

    Connect Your Head and Heart to Maximize Your Potential | Keith Castille | Ep. 164

    What if the key to developing yourself and your team isn't more training, but more honesty about where your "weapon system" actually stands? In this episode, Michael Reddington sits down with Dr. Keith Castille, CEO and co-founder of C2H (Connecting Heads to Hearts) and a retired U.S. Air Force veteran with 28 and a half years of service, including roles in talent management and at the Pentagon. Dr. Castille brings a rare combination of military precision and deep human development expertise to his work helping individuals, teams, and organizations unlock their full potential. This conversation is a masterclass in what it really means to develop people, not just manage them. Dr. Castille introduces the concept of the human weapon system, explains how to shift from judgment to curiosity when assessing others, and shares the hard-earned lessons from his own transition out of the military that most people only share after they've figured it out. What You'll Learn in This Episode What a "human weapon system" actually means and why it has nothing to do with conflict or violenceWhy meeting people where they are is more effective than holding them to a standard they haven't been givenHow to shift from judgment to curiosity to open people up instead of shutting them downWhat timing, temperature, and tone have to do with whether your conversations move people forward or backwardWhy the way people see themselves and the way others see them is almost never the same, and what to do about itWhat the hardest part of military transition really looks like when the emails stop and the phone goes quietHow building a coaching culture starts with spending more time asking questions than delivering answersWhy ownership matters more than solutions when working with individuals and organizations Chapters (00:00) Introducing Dr. Keith Castille and C2H(05:53) What Is a Human Weapon System?(09:14) Meeting People Where They Are, Not Where You Want Them to Be(14:02) The Shift from Judgment to Curiosity(18:24) Assessing Individuals Without Comparing Them to Anyone Else(23:01) The Hidden Difficulty of Military Transition(30:24) Aligning Strategic Intent with Operational Reality(40:29) Developing Patience and a Coaching Mindset(44:20) Timing, Temperature, and Tone in Every Conversation(51:01) How to Build Self-Awareness in Leaders Who Don't Know They Need It About the Guest Dr. Keith Castille is the CEO and co-founder of C2H (Connecting Heads to Hearts), a workforce solutions company specializing in leadership development, AI integration, gender-based violence policy, and organizational transformation. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2024 after 28 and a half years of service, including work in talent management and at the Pentagon. Since retiring, Dr. Castille has worked with companies and organizations across the globe, including in Zambia, and has built C2H into a team of problem-solvers committed to meaningful, mission-driven work. Links and Resources C2H Connecting Heads to Hearts - https://www.c2htransform.com/Dr. Keith Castille | LinkedIn - Linkedinlinkedin.com/in/keith-castille- Sponsor Links: InQuasive: http://www.inquasive.com/Humintell: Body Language - Reading People - HumintellEnter Code INQUASIVE25 for 25% discount on your online training purchase.International Association of Interviewers: Home (certifiedinterviewer.com) Podcast Production Services by EveryWord Media

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About

Truly becoming a great listener and influential communicator requires people to embrace the universality of the human experience. Join Certified Forensic Interviewer Michael Reddington as he speaks with experts from across the spectrum of human communication to explore how they’ve learned to listen and influence others within the context of their lives and careers. Business leaders, investigators, military leaders, scientists, social workers, athletic coaches and beyond all join Michael to share their experiences, perspectives and ideas. Every episode provides listeners with new skills, perspectives and techniques for unlocking hidden value in all of their high impact conversations and relationships.

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Reddington
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    172
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025
  • Show Website
    I See What You're Saying

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