Emily Kasriel

Deep listening uncovers the core needs, pain points, and goals of clients, customers and other stakeholders. When people feel genuinely heard, they're more likely to share candid, heartfelt responses. This keynote on Deep Listening for leaders will empower leaders to strengthen client relationships, enhance their decision-making and improve team collaboration, with proven strategies as takeaways.

Kasriel draws on her work delivering Deep Listening strategies with leaders from GSK, McDonalds and the UK Cabinet Office as well as her experience as a BBC global journalist sharing inspiring stories – such as witnessing how President Mandela diffused a potential coup through his listening. Kasriel has conducted extensive research into what works when it comes to communicating with teams: Leaders who listen deeply inspire loyalty, engagement, and peak performance.   

Kasriel has developed her Deep Listening approach to enable people to engage more meaningfully and truly understand others around them. She’s spoken at the SOCAP Global conference and published about Deep Listening for impact in the Stanford Social Innovation Review.  

Her keynotes and workshops are designed to empower participants to establish deeper connections and foster genuine understanding with diverse stakeholders, even in the face of profound disagreements. Academic research into a global project she led with 1000 people across over 100 countries has demonstrated these impacts. Interactive workshops are also available.

In an era of intense polarisation, the workplace is not immune to the tensions of opposing political and social views. Many people perceive their societies as severely polarised, with differences of opinion often morphing into a deeper "us vs. them" mentality. This polarization doesn't just breed mistrust and animosity; it can lead to breakdowns in communication and collaboration, stifling productivity and innovation. In this keynote, Kasriel argues that the antidote lies in cultivating genuine curiosity about others' experiences and beliefs - the foundation of Deep Listening.

Drawing on real-world examples like UN diplomat Christiana Figueres, who credits her own deep listening as key to achieving the landmark Paris Climate Accord, Kasriel demonstrates how this approach can foster respect and rapport between colleagues despite their differences. Her practical strategies, grounded in empathy and self-reflection, enable leaders and employees to move beyond "us vs. them" thinking and find common ground. Interactive workshops are also available to dive deeper into these transformative practices.

Parents can often struggle to find out what’s really going on with their pre-school or teenage kids who clam up when asked the typical ‘what happened at school today?’.

Journalists on tight deadlines (as well as others out of habit) frequently have a pre-formed narrative, so when interviewing people, they often hunt for a specific sound bite to slot into their story, ignoring everything else. The way a parent or journalist ‘shows up’– their manner, curiosity and empathy, all fundamental tenets of Deep Listening – can have a huge impact on the authenticity and depth of the story that kid or interviewee shares.

Drawing on her 20+ years at the BBC, and her experience as a parent, and her extensive research behind her eight step Deep Listening model, Kasriel delivers an engaging keynote provokes audiences to consider with a different way of finding out more leading to far greater understanding and more trusting open relationship.

Statements like 'I feel emotionally drained from my work' or 'I feel frustrated with my job' were less likely to be heard in the departments of a high-tech company that implemented high-quality listening training, compared to divisions that had no training, as one experiment demonstrated.

Kasriel draws on a wealth of research, and her proven eight step Deep Listening model, to empower colleagues to Deeply Listen to each other, and create a healthier and more trusting work culture in which colleagues feel safe sharing both their concerns and their innovative ideas. Interactive workshops are also available.