I received my copy free through Goodreads Giveaways.

"Being listened to and heard is one of the greatest desires of the human heart" - Richard CarlsonSuch a simple concept and yet it seems like the need frequently goes unmet. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who is obviously listening to the words you're saying but didn't seem to get what you meant? Or understood your point and were obviously disconnected from the emotion or weight of the situation? I Hear You by Michael S. Sorensen is all about the power of validation and how to use

Loved the book! It had me to reevaluate my relationships.This is a great self-help book!

Highly recommend This book is quick, to the point, with actionable tips and examples so you can be a better friend/etcThis book also helped me see why this last year i drifted away from some friends while getting closer to others. It came down to the simple fact that those I “left” were always invalidating me and those I became closer to showed empathy or compassion or could at least say “that sucks” instead of “don’t worry be happy”Words matter. How we respond to people matters. Both of these h...

**OBTAINED: Goodreads Giveaway**I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships"More often than not, people who vent or complain already know how to handle their current situation—they’re just looking for someone to see and appreciate their struggle.” I Hear You by Michael S. Sorensen, is a really valuable look into the skill of Validation in terms of relationships, whether that be personal, such as romantic relationships, family relationships, friendships to casual

Audible Daily Deal: 9/16/19 for $1.95I’ve only read a few self-help style books, but I’m trying to improve my communication style not only in my own relationship but in my new job as a supervisor, so I’ve been on the lookout for something that would fit into that category and this fit the bill. “Being listened to and heard is one of the greatest desires of the human heart. And those who learn to listen are the most loved and respected.” – Richard Carlson There are some great things about this...

A few jobs ago, I attended a two-day work seminar which consisted of educating managers and supervisors how to motivate employees and build a strong team. One section dealt with communication techniques, particularly with folks who were anywhere along the mildly upset to angry spectrum. One of the key points to having a successful outcome involved validating the other person. I wasn’t sure if author Michael S. Sorensen would have anything new to add, but as Les Brown said, “It’s always good to b...

Despite the absolute fundamental application of this validation principle, I've never heard it spoken of in all my years of communication study. What a pity because incorporating validation will absolutely 110% improve relationships, which is a truly exciting thought. Who DOESN'T want to understand? Who DOESN'T want to be understood? At it's essence, validation is offering the affirmation every human being unconsciously seeks. The only reason I could think of that it would be overlooked in liter...

The book in a nutshell:1. Empathize2. Validate their emotionsAnd then, if requested3. Provide your perspective /recommendations 4. Finish with final validationMost often only 1 and 2 is needed. Providing perspectives and advice without validating people's emotions and recognizing that their emotions are understandable/acceptable is a frequent flaw committed by most people.I found the above convincing and paying more attention to validating people's feelings and emotions is surely sound advice. T...

(Won through a Goodreads giveaway! Thank you to author Michael Sorensen for providing me a free e-copy.)The introduction was a little off-putting; it’s very clear that, as Sorensen himself states, he doesn’t have much experience as a writer: overly descriptive language, cliches, excessive italics, and multiple grammatical errors (whose/whose, their/there/they’re). Most relevantly, the suggested lines and dialogue samples don’t quite read as natural, which doesn’t help his point about using them

I wish more self-help books were like this. There is hardly an extra word here, it recognizes nuance where it exists, and it reflects the conclusions of the research, not just the author's opinion and experience. Sorenson's steps for listening include:How to Listen empathically How to engage in Micro and Macro ValidationHow to Ask for Permission and how to Give Feedback How to Validate Again (it's worth repeating) and how to Validate VulnerabilityIt may be that you have intuited some of what is

I received this book through a Goodreads giveawayThis book is a concise review of essential listening skills. It does not, as many personal development books do, spend a lot of time explaining why you might want to read the book/acquire these skills (this always frustrates me. You've already got me as a reader. Let's get right to the substance). Short and sweet without claiming to reveal anything terribly new, this is the kind of book I appreciate to help me to review and recalibrate. Am I the k...

This is one of the best self-improvement or skill-improvement guides that I have ever come across. It is short, concise, direct, and easy to digest. Like many others, I am sure, I have tried to use active listening techniques in the past and found them obvious, programmatic and insincere. This book describes a truly empathic way to listen.Although I don't just expect to change my habits and approach quickly and completely (I am not that easy to change), I intend to go back to this a few more tim...

Good information.

Having been lectured endlessly by professors about the importance of finding reliable sources for academic papers, I was really shocked when I read the introduction for this book and discovered that Sorensen isn't necessarily an "academic" or professional in the field of communication. It made me really skeptical about reading his book. If you're going to purchase a "how-to" book that you earnestly want to learn from, you generally want to ensure that you're using a trusted, reliable resource. I...