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About this Episode:

In this episode of The Transformative Leader Podcast, I’m excited to bring you a conversation with certified forensic interviewer and communication specialist, Michael Reddington, about how to communicate, question, and listen to create trust, commitment, and collaboration, especially in times of crisis. Michael is the President of InQuasive, a company that integrates the key components of effective non-confrontational interview techniques with current business research for executives. Using his background in forensics, and his understanding of human behavior through interrogation, Michael teaches businesses to use the truth to their advantage. Through InQuasive, Michael currently leads programs on the application of strategic, ethical, persuasion techniques in the areas of leadership communication, sales, negotiation, conflict resolution, customer service, candidate interviews and family conversations.

As Michael’s investigative and business careers were evolving he made two discoveries. First, the very best leaders and the very best interrogators capitalize on the same two core skills - vision and influence. Second, the cognitive processes that drive customers to commit to saying “I’ll buy it”, employees to commit to saying “I’ll do it” and suspects to commit to saying “I did it” are essentially identical. As a result, he developed the Disciplined Listening Method, which utilizes the strategic planning principles, communication evaluation techniques, persuasive methods and questioning approaches of certified forensic interviewers to equip executives, HR professionals and business development professionals with the skills and perspectives they need to use the truth to their advantage.

It would be an understatement to say that Michael is a kindred spirit, but I’ll say it anyway! He is someone who truly understands the psychology and motivation behind why we do what we do, and really gets that the heart of communication is all about understanding oneself and getting in the other person’s world.  Michael had so many great and unique insights to share on communicating and listening during a crisis (as well as during normal times) that it’s honestly difficult to encapsulate our conversation in a few sentences. Communication is perhaps the most fundamental of all people skills, especially for leaders in those in the business world, and I know listeners will get so much from our conversation. I cannot recommend this episode or Michael’s services highly enough, so be sure check them out!

Some topics discussed in this episode include:

• How Michael became involved in interrogation and forensics, and how he discovered that the principles behind them could be applied to the business world and personal life.

• The psychology behind interrogation—it isn’t like in the movies—and how it related to creating trust and collaboration.

• What Disciplined Listening actually entails.

• Why self-awareness is so so important for listening and communication, and why the most important part of listening is “talking.“

• The mindset needed to communicate effectively in a crisis, both to reassure others and guide them through it.

• And much more…

Michael Reddington, CFI, is the founder and President of InQuasive Inc., which integrates current business communication research and best practices with non-confrontational interview and interrogation techniques to provide customized training and advisory services in the areas of sales, negotiations, leadership communication, conflict resolution, customer service, candidate interviewing and public speaking. Michael has led over one thousand programs and educated over ten thousand participants from companies, government agencies and executive groups across the United States, Canada, The United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. He has also spoken about the international applications of the disciplined listening approach as part of a speaker series at The School of Business Administration at the University of San Diego. Michael received his bachelor's degree in business administration and management from Southern New Hampshire University, and received additional education on negotiation and a leadership degree from Harvard University. He currently lives in Waxhaw, NC.

Guest Links:

To learn more about Michael and his work, you can visit his website. You can also connect with Michael on LinkedIn, Twitter, and by emailing him at mreddington@inquasive.com.

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