As you may remember, in October the Communiqué PR team read “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” and discussed how we could apply the principles outlined in the book in both our private and professional lives. We are currently reading the book, “Just Listen” by Mark Goulston.

“Just Listen” provides eye-opening insights and practical tips for learning how to effectively reach people in virtually every scenario — defiant executives, angry employees, family members and others. Mark Goulston M.D., veteran psychiatrist and business coach, discusses how to get difficult people to do what you want in tough situations.

As PR professionals, we are often required to reach out to and connect with a variety of people — editors, analysts, bloggers, clients, vendors and venture capitalists to name a few. The premise of Dr. Goulston’s book is that by listening and acknowledging another person’s point of view you will be much more successful in achieving your goals.

Whether it’s counseling clients on a particular strategy to help propel their business forward, or sparking a journalist’s interest in a compelling story idea, it’s easy to get caught up with our own needs and forget to listen. This book provides practical tips and guidance on how to rewire ourselves to be able to truly listen to those around us in order to provide the best PR services possible. We have put his suggestions to work and seen some amazing results.

Dr. Goulston not only provides perspective on how to make people listen to us, he also discusses the following:

• Taking control of a stressful situation
• Steering clear of toxic people
• The power of saying thank you and apologizing
• Gaining trust and establishing relationships with the gatekeepers

Whether you’re a PR professional reaching out to a journalist, a CEO obtaining buy-in from board members, or a manager dealing with hostile employees, “Just Listen” provides a blueprint for connecting with the hardest to reach people and turning them into allies. We highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to improve his or her communication and listening skills with business associates, friends or family.