How to Be Awesome at Your Job 1126: How to Build Connection and Understanding through Excellent Listening with Katie O’Malley
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Feb 5, 2026 Katie O’Malley, executive coach and creator of the AIR listening method, shares practical ways to deepen connection through better attention. She explains why attention drifts, how to manage mind-wandering, and the three AIR steps: Attention, Intention, Recognition. Short practices and when to share your experience round out the conversation.
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Brains Outpace Speech
- Our brains process information far faster than people speak, which makes sustained attention to others difficult.
- Katie O'Malley compares speech to a tricycle and thought to an F1 race car to explain this mismatch.
Use The AIR Listening Formula
- Practice the AIR formula: Attention, Intention, Recognition to listen well.
- Apply AIR to both the speaker and yourself to improve understanding and connection.
Grounded For Talking About Herself
- Katie's mother grounded her at 11 for talking about herself nonstop on the phone.
- That moment, during her mother's cancer battle, imprinted listening as a core value for Katie.
