Therapy.

Nothing is ever said in a vacuum. Pay attention to whatever someone says and use that information help you build a mental model of them so you know how to better deal with them and get what you want.

I have a wonderful colleague who isn’t good at this, and my advice to him would be that after you start to speak, when you’re only one sentence in, look around at people’s faces and see: are they listening, do they look interested? Make eye contact. Go on, watching for reaction. Don’t just keep talking without taking those pauses to see how your comments are landing.

What are your best tips for a midcareer professional who needs to learn to read the room better? (and thank you!)