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Professionals sharpen business, legal communication in certificate program

Two peoples' hands over a paper, marking up a document

Whether drafting a critical email or analyzing a business issue, professionals in every role need strong analytical and persuasive communication skills. Cornell’s Legal Writing and Communication certificate program strengthens essential legal writing skills for leaders across industries.

According to the program’s faculty author Michelle Whelan, a clinical professor of law and associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion at Cornell Law School, every written word can carry legal implications.

“Whether you are an employee or CEO, you need to understand all the myriad ways you could be interacting, directly or indirectly, with an attorney,” Whelan said. “Even if you don’t interact regularly with legal counsel, you need to appreciate how this can connect with your work and how your life intersects.”

The program includes four courses: Maximizing Your Value in the Attorney-Client Relationship, Evaluating the Impact of Legal Documents, Composing Documents That Help Lawyers and Writing and Persuading Like a Lawyer.

Whelan charts the ways in which a company’s employees could come to the attention of the company’s attorney. Learners explore how to maximize value in an attorney-client relationship through proper communication and how documentation — including emails and other written communication — can help or hurt during litigation.

Participants explore best practices for building relationships with organizational legal teams, techniques for effective witness interviewing and workplace incident reporting and common misconceptions about business documentation.

“There’s a lot of talk about ‘don’t create this document’ or ‘don’t put everything down in writing.’ But for a company to function, they need documents for institutional memory, and that’s just how they function,” Whelan said. “The program helps employees understand how to create documents that are useful and not harmful.”

“What are the things that you should be looking for that are helpful for the company and the company’s attorney? The program walks through how to effectively gather information from a witness and then it turns to putting that down on paper,” she said.

While these skills are necessary for legal issues, focused expertise in these areas can help professionals excel in any field. As persuasive communication is the core of the program, Whelan emphasizes how impactful the courses can be for anyone in business.

“Persuasion is everywhere you look, no matter what you do, no matter what your role is, and this program teaches students that they’ve been using persuasion all their lives. It’s easy then to transfer some of those concepts, skills and knowledge into a persuasive document that objectively analyzes an issue using the four-step analysis that every good lawyer runs through to analyze an issue to come up with a solid, sound conclusion that’s backed by solid reasoning. And then, once you have that, you can turn it into a document that convinces or persuades.”

Whelan notes that it is important for professionals to think beyond what their business does with an attorney. “There are also specific ways that an employee interacts with an attorney, such as being asked to serve as a witness on behalf of the corporation,” she said. “One day, everybody out there could be asked to do that.”

Build your confidence in persuasive business and legal communication — enroll in the Legal Writing and Communication certificate program today!

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4 AI insights for executives, corporate boards

Ai in the Boardroom Cornell Keynote. Clockwise from left: Partners at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP James Hu, Angela Dunning, Chase Kaniecki, Lillian Tsu, Benet O’Reilly and D. Bruce Hoffman.

Understanding AI’s impact and ensuring its responsible implementation is essential for board members and senior executives looking to stay ahead in today’s fast-evolving corporate landscape. In a Cornell Keynote, legal professionals from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP shared what top management needs to know about navigating the opportunities and challenges AI brings to the boardroom.

  1. Navigating intellectual property (IP) challenges.

Many generative AI tools feature a public-facing platform in which users enter text prompts to generate new works, such as text, images or songs. However, because these AI models are trained on extensive datasets, often sourced from the internet, AI may create outputs based on copyrighted material.

There are currently around two dozen IP litigation cases in the United States concerning the training and output of generative AI models, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Imagen. “The key question is whether courts will find that the training of these models was fair use or infringing,” explained Angela Dunning, a partner who focuses on commercial litigation.

If the courts rule that AI training methods are not fair use, the development of these tools could change significantly, potentially affecting their availability and competitiveness, especially in the international market.

“The United States Copyright Office has taken the position that AI-generated outputs are not protected under U.S. copyright law because they are not authored by a human,” said Dunning. “This is now in conflict with some jurisdictions around the world, such as the EU’s AI ACT, which may impose restrictions on the use of copyrighted content for AI training and apply them to AI models globally if their output comes into Europe.”

As companies increasingly incorporate AI technology into their workplaces, board members should ensure that their companies have robust policies in place to mitigate IP risks, such as obtaining proper licenses for training data and regularly reviewing compliance with evolving laws. Proactively addressing these challenges can help protect the company’s innovations and preserve its competitive advantage in the market.

  1. Addressing SEC disclosure requirements.

Erik Gerding, director of the SEC Division of Corporate Finance, recently released a statement signaling AI as a disclosure priority for the SEC and compelling companies to be as detailed as possible in their annual reports, including identifying how the company defines AI and how the technology could benefit the company’s operational outcomes, financial condition and growth potential.

Specificity is crucial for general counsels and legal teams submitting AI disclosures to the SEC. “The SEC is focused on making sure that disclosures public companies make on AI and the opportunities it presents are tailored to that company rather than being a generic boilerplate disclosure,” noted Lillian Tsu, a partner specializing in securities and capital markets transactions.

Tsu also highlights the importance of attending to the material risks of AI technology, as the data that AI generates are predictions, not conclusions. “In other words, the disclosure should not be divorced from what is happening in reality,” added James Hu, a partner who focuses on merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions.

By adhering to these guidelines, companies not only comply with SEC requirements but also foster greater transparency and trust with stakeholders. Comprehensive and tailored AI disclosures reflect a company’s commitment to responsible innovation, offering a clear view of how AI integration aligns with the company’s strategic goals and risk management practices. 

  1. Understanding antitrust implications.

According to D. Bruce Hoffman, a partner whose practice focuses on antitrust enforcement, AI introduces four significant issues on the antitrust front: the use of AI for collusion, unilateral conduct, mergers and compliance with the Robinson-Patman Act.

The use of AI for collusion has garnered the most attention from antitrust enforcers such as the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission due to concerns that AI systems could enable competitors to coordinate pricing or other market behaviors. 

“The Department of Justice has drawn an analogy stating that AI, in this context, is no different from a person. If competing companies were to send their cost data to this person who then instructed them to charge the same price, that would constitute collusion. This can potentially lead to antitrust trouble as well as exposure to civil problems,” said Hoffman.

Another issue is the role of AI in unilateral conduct, particularly in monopolization cases. AI systems could make decisions that, while rational, could be seen as anticompetitive if they harm competitors in ways that violate Section 2 of the Sherman Act. The challenge for antitrust enforcers will be determining when an AI’s autonomous actions cross the line from aggressive competition to unlawful conduct.

  1. Leveraging AI in M&A.

AI is quickly becoming a driver of M&A activities as companies look to strengthen their competitive edge. Benet J. O’Reilly, a partner specializing in mergers and acquisitions, notes that AI is a hot investment area, with firms either developing AI in-house or acquiring third-party tools to integrate into their operations.

This surge in AI-driven M&A is fueled by the need to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Companies are not only seeking innovative technologies but also the talent and expertise behind them. “Talent acquisitions are crucial because they not only bring valuable technology in-house but also prevent that talent from being available to competitors,” explained O’Reilly.

However, integrating these AI-focused teams into larger, more traditional organizations can be challenging. Companies must strike a balance between maintaining the creativity and agility of these teams while aligning them with broader corporate objectives — a process requires careful planning and a willingness to adapt. 

As AI reshapes industries, M&A deals may become more prevalent, with companies increasingly turning to strategic acquisitions to build out their AI capabilities. For executives, understanding the complexities of these transactions will be crucial.

 

For more insights on approaching AI-related developments in the boardroom, experience the full Keynote “Artificial Intelligence in the Boardroom: What Board and Senior Executives Need To Know” on the eCornell website. 

This Keynote is part of  a series of discussions leading up to eCornell’s 2025 Board of Directors Forum. Register now for the opportunity to network and share best practices on cybersecurity, supply chains, data and AI, and earn a Cornell Tech Board of Directors Forum certificate from Cornell Tech.

 

Photo: Clockwise from left: Partners at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP James Hu, Angela Dunning, Chase Kaniecki, Lillian Tsu, Benet O’Reilly and D. Bruce Hoffman.

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The power of focused listening in conflict resolution

In-studio Cornell Keynote webcast “Focused Listening: From Conflict to Collaboration” with Katrina Nobles, Liz Davis-Frost, and host Nicholas Phillips

According to The Myers-Briggs Company, managers spend at least four hours managing conflicts per week on average, with poor communication being the biggest cause of conflict. Yet, at the forefront of effective conflict resolution lies a frequently overlooked fundamental skill: focused listening. 

In the Cornell Keynote webcast “Focused Listening: From Conflict to Collaboration,” Katrina Nobles, director of conflict programs, and Liz Davis-Frost, mediation and training extension associate, both from the Cornell University Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution, discuss how focused listening promotes interpersonal understanding and collaborative problem-solving.

What is focused listening?

Nobles: “Focused listening, sometimes called ‘deep listening,’ is a tool that comes from the transformative mediation model. It relies on being present and listening to listen — not to respond, craft an opinion or solve a problem. This approach requires us to suspend our judgments and try to truly understand what the other person is saying.”

How can practicing focused listening contribute to effective team dynamics, particularly in supporting less assertive members?

Nobles: “First and foremost, I recommend reflection — reflecting back to the person what you heard — because it prompts you to pay attention to what the other person said without jumping to respond or diminish their words. Pairing focused listening with reflection gives the other person space to correct any misunderstandings.

Secondly, one thing that is largely missing in U.S.-based workplaces is the consideration of nonverbal communication styles. Deep listening works with written communication, like anonymous feedback forms, which are particularly helpful in situations with power imbalances. For instance, a new employee might be less assertive because they are still navigating when it is appropriate to speak up and share their opinion.”

Davis-Frost: “Some of us didn’t grow up in cultures or communities where sharing thoughts, unless explicitly asked, was encouraged. It’s important to recognize that assertiveness, or lack thereof, isn’t due to singular reasons but is shaped by a lifetime of circumstances and experiences.

Everyone in the room has a unique life journey leading to this moment. Sometimes, those more attuned to these nuances try to share with those less aware, but this can feel awkward or become therapeutic, so it’s essential to navigate these dynamics with care.”

Why is conflict a good thing, especially when trying to solve a problem or finish a project?

Davis-Frost: “If I go into every conflict thinking it’s a bad thing, that will influence how I navigate it and my results. Going into conflicts knowing they are inevitable allows me to approach them with curiosity and think about how the situation can help me learn and grow. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to not make mistakes, which is unrealistic. We need to build a capacity for grace and understanding and patience while being able to hold each other accountable.”

Nobles: “Conflict is often perceived as a negative thing. Eradicating conflict altogether isn’t helpful because it limits the variation of perspectives and ideas within a group. Conflict can be destructive, but it can also be constructive, and we need to mentally reframe it as a powerful tool for problem-solving. When a conflict arises in the workplace, we have to figure out how to approach it in a way that respects team members’ differing perspectives and incorporates them into creative solutions.”

How can teams implement focused listening to help problem-solve together?

Nobles: “One way to use deep listening in team meetings is to combine it with reflection. If you make an agreement with your team that you’re going to reflect back what you just heard before countering it or adding another idea, you can allow for enough of a pause to consider how you plan to contribute to the conversation without escalating beyond the point of control. Another way to use deep listening is in brainstorming. When we’re brainstorming, we’re often throwing out ideas so quickly that we may either miss an idea or the point of an idea. Again, implementing focused listening gives just enough of a pause to reflect on what was said to ensure you understand the idea so you can clarify your own thinking before sharing even more options.”

Davis-Frost: “Sometimes, in brainstorming, ideas are presented with no points. If team members are asking clarifying questions, it’s an indicator that people are having a hard time understanding the point and that I need to think a little further and develop that idea, which the team can support me in doing.”

What first step should managers take when introducing focused listening to their team?

Davis-Frost: “Beyond this Keynote and our prior webcast, I recommend spending time practicing and working through deep listening skills yourself before bringing them to the workplace. We see a lot of people try to implement these tools without fully developing them, which is contributing to conflicts because people have questions about what deep listening is.”

Nobles: “I would definitely try deep listening out for yourself as a first step so that you can speak to it genuinely. Second, I would have a conversation about it with your team where you highlight wanting to create an environment where team members can hear each other better and be more creative together. Offer for the team to try it out in a meeting and see what happens.”

Davis-Frost: “Adding to that, don’t hesitate to reach out for support if you need it. There are lots of practitioners out there who are supporting people and having transformative conversations, so don’t put all the pressure on yourself to do a dissertation’s worth of research on focused listening in a couple of nights and then present it to your staff.”

How can one adjust their deep listening approach when they don’t have much in common with someone and still be genuine?

Nobles: “Keeping in mind that we have more connections than we think we might, deep listening can be more impactful with the people you don’t have much in common with because you are genuinely trying to understand where they’re coming from. If you come to a conversation with genuine curiosity, it can make a really powerful connection of being open and providing space to another person.”

 

To learn more about focused listening as a tool for conflict management, watch part one of this conversation, “Listen Closely: Gaining Clarity During Conflict,” on the eCornell website and explore Cornell’s Conflict Resolution certificate program authored by Katrina Nobles.

This Q&A, drafted by former eCornell writing intern Margot Baker, has been edited for length and clarity. Experience the full Keynote “Focused Listening: From Conflict to Collaboration” on the eCornell website.

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Ukrainian educator gains nation-rebuilding skills with eCornell

nna Semenenko presents at the opening meeting for the Erasmus+ project “Education for Sustainable Development: Synergy of Competencies for the Recovery of Ukraine” at Polissia National University in December 2024.

On a chilly November day in Kyiv, Ukraine, Inna Semenenko takes cover in a bomb shelter as sirens warn of Russia’s latest attack. Media agencies report that the strike is different: a new ballistic missile with greater range.

For Ukrainians, it’s part of a grim survival routine – hearing blaring tones, seeking safety, emerging to continue the day.

Semenenko, a professor, is one of several Ukrainian citizens and refugees who are earning professional certificates from Cornell through a social impact collaboration between eCornell and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (KNU).

Read more on the Chronicle.

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3 ways to protect honeybees — as keepers and community members

A honeybee sits on top of four rows of honey combs.

In 2023, the United States  lost 48% of its agriculturally managed honey bee colonies in an unprecedented year. But the issue is more complex than the statistics can communicate.

In a Cornell Keynote from eCornell, Marina Caillaud, a lecturer of entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), explains honey bee decline — which is tracked in data from the United States Department of Agriculture — and shares how experts and individuals can help with honey bee conservation. Caillaud and the Cornell Dyce Lab for Honey Bee Studies, housed in CALS, offer three ways we can protect and maintain bee populations.

1. Plan for your environment.

For beekeepers, the health of the hive is key, and the environment is a major factor. Many of the health challenges bees face come from the environment: pesticides, stress, droughts or poor nutrition. Before starting your own beehive, you must understand your own local weather conditions as well as the risks that come with them. If you live in drier conditions, be sure to prioritize water sources for your bees.

Further, the location of your beehive is essential to its success, so be sure to pick a location with plenty of sunlight and protection from the wind. Ensure that nectar or pollen is within 500 feet of the hive. Even though honey bees can travel three miles to forage for food, closer sources optimize energy conservation and honey production.

2. Understand the complex global status of honey bees

While honeybees are at the center of pollination for ecosystems and agriculture, the bee population is not a monolith. There are over 4,000 species of bees in the U.S., all of which have different needs. Sometimes, honey bee cultivation can put other pollinators at risk, especially when the hives increase competition for resources, increase the spread of diseases, and alter the natural habitat. As a result, it is important to ensure that your honey bee cultivation does not harm these other important subsections of our ecosystem. Provide adequate food and water, ensure your tools are clean so they don’t infect your hives or others and maintain the integrity of the natural landscape around your hive.

3. Collaborate with your community.

Even if you are not planning to keep honey bees, it is still important to keep your space friendly for visiting bees. To counteract the threats of habitat loss and pesticides, individuals can make improvements to their lawns. 

The easiest step is to remove pesticides. While helpful to combat weeds, these chemicals are toxic to bees and can run off into neighboring waterways. The next step is to include plants that support pollination for most of the year. Bees love bright-colored flowers — especially purple, blue, white and violet — so you can do this while still maintaining a beautiful garden. To start, research native species in your area that specialize in pollen production. Then diversify your selections. Choose a few that are perennial and annual, so bees can continuously trust your area for pollination.

Seize opportunities to learn new beekeeping skills.

Faculty from Cornell University have designed online beekeeping certificate programs to guide you through your beekeeping practice. A five-week course from the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is also available online through eCornell.

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Cornell Keynotes podcast: How to transition to management

Smiling businesswoman in office

For many employees, the promotion from individual contributor to their first managerial role is the most important promotion of their lives.

In the latest episode of Cornell Keynotes podcast, Cornell lecturer and technical entrepreneur Dirk Swart shares how employees can elevate their managerial and business acumen to transition into management.

The episode covers the “rules of the game” to successfully make the transition to management, how to position oneself to increase the chances of promotion and tips for success as a junior manager.

Read more on the Chronicle.

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Leaders examine global economic risks in International Business Law certificate program

Gavel in foreground, world map in background.

From repeat wholesale international transactions to the one-time hire of a consultant abroad, companies of all sizes must now understand the liabilities they might take on during global business operations. Celia Bigoness, a clinical professor at the Cornell Law School and director of the Blassberg-Rice Center for Entrepreneurship Law, developed eCornell’s International Business Law certificate to help professionals understand and mitigate business risks. Bigoness recently discussed her online certificate with the eCornell team.

Why would a ‘domestic business’ need an understanding of international law?

“We tried to make sure that this course would be relevant for a whole variety of companies and individuals, including many who may not think they are necessarily involved in cross-border transactions. So, for example, there’s a module on dealing with tariffs — you could be in a company that thinks that what they do is purely domestic, but the [company] may import products or be looking to import products in the future. There could be cost implications there, and they [need to] understand how to deal with tariffs.”

What tools can businesses use to protect themselves from liability?

“Professionals should be able to look at a particular business strategy or a particular question or set of facts and be able to identify the red flags there, to be able to ask: How is [hiring a consultant in Venezuela] different from hiring a consultant in New York state? What are the risks that a business takes on when it is operating outside of its home environment? And how can that business begin to identify those risks, prioritize them and figure out which risks are acceptable and which risks are not. And then, as a practical matter, once you’ve said the risks are not acceptable, ask ‘what do we do about it?’ That’s where we get into a specific sort of contract techniques and other ways outside of a contract in which a business can protect itself. For example, getting insurance against a specific foreign risk.”

How does the course respond to an evolving geopolitical world?

“We rely heavily on a case study method … and we focus particularly on political risks. What if you are doing business in a country that has a change in leadership which is hostile to working with Americans, or, more broadly, more hostile to working with foreign investors. [The government] may decide that it wants to take action against foreign investors, and that action could be everything ranging from expropriation at the most extreme level to something that is much more common, such as raising taxes or saying you can no longer send American workers. What do you do? What rights do you have as a U.S. business when a foreign government seeks to put pressure on you?

Gain the tools to understand your business’ place in the increasingly globalized world in the International Business Law certificate program from Cornell. Learn more and enroll now.

Quotes have been edited for length and clarity.

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Cornell Keynotes podcast: Real estate right now

Four speakers on screen during a virtual panel

Post-pandemic real estate markets present many interesting opportunities, despite their ongoing challenges. While “back-to-office” efforts remain weak in many urban cores, those same downtowns are experiencing booming retail, entertainment and cultural visitation.

In a new episode of the Cornell Keynotes podcast from eCornell, Associate Professor Emeritus Jan deRoos and senior lecturers Jeanne Varney and Daniel Lebret from the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration explore the forces driving real estate market trends and delve into recent efforts to convert “office-to-anything-else” spaces.

Read more on the Chronicle.

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Cornell Keynotes podcast: Rethinking migration, the shared journeys of people and birds

Migrating birds

Despite changes in movement patterns over recent decades, migration has been a natural phenomenon for millennia. Climate and environmental shifts continue to profoundly influence the movement of people, birds and other species around the globe.

In a new episode of the Cornell Keynotes podcast from eCornell, Cornell Law School Distinguished Immigration Scholar and attorney Marielena Hincapié and Garvin Professor Amanda Rodewald, senior director of the Center for Avian Population Studies at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, explain why people and birds migrate — and what individuals, communities and policymakers can do to develop sustainable solutions for an interdependent world.

Read more on the Chronicle.

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Master active listening to enhance decision-making

Four people, two men and two women, are gathered around a table covered with various supplies, such as notebooks, pens and coffee mugs. They are looking at two large whiteboards filled with colorful sticky notes. Picture a colleague grappling with a tough decision — they’re probably feeling the weight of uncertainty and pressure. In such moments, it’s tempting to step in with solutions or advice. But real support means resisting that urge, putting your own ideas aside and listening carefully to understand their concerns, priorities and the help or reassurance they seek.

In the Cornell Keynote webcast “Active Listening: Supporting People During Difficult Decisions,” Cheryl Strauss Einhorn, an adjunct professor at the Cornell SC Johnson School of Business and Cornell Tech, shares the four types of active listening and how utilizing them can support decision-makers.

What is active listening?

“There are two kinds of listening: passive and active. In passive listening, the responder is just taking it in, and the person speaking may not get any feedback. We don’t have a sense of whether or not the responder really got what we meant to say. Conversely, active listening is the practice of making sure you make the other person feel heard. You’re listening for cues in what they’re saying so that you can respond, not from your vantage point, but from the vantage point of what they’re truly inquiring about.”

Why is active listening essential in the decision-making process?

“Decision-making is a holistic process, and for too long, we’ve been under the impression that our decisions are ours alone. For our decisions to truly succeed, we need to be able to take into account other stakeholders’ viewpoints, which means actually asking them questions. What to ask is going to stem from what it is they’re talking to us about.

I was interested in coming up with a framework for listening to people and then asking questions that show we are responding to what they’re asking. And, if we’re unsure what that is, how can we further open up the conversation to ask them what they mean.”

What are the four types of active listening support?

“The four types of active listening I discuss are emotional, informational, analytical and reflective.

  1. Emotional support is listening with empathy, making space for the emotion and doing it without judgment.
  2. Informational active listening is about providing the information the other person needs, whether it be knowledge, facts or data.
  3. Analytical support helps them to interpret and understand what they’ve already gathered and how the information can be synthesized into something that has meaning.
  4. Reflective listening is really about mirroring. How often has someone come to you, and you think, ‘I believe they already know the solution.’ By asking questions that mirror what they’re saying, you help them prioritize and clarify their own thoughts.”

How can each type of active listening help support decision-makers?

“Emotional support can benefit the decision-maker by validating their feelings and making them feel heard. You may hear the other person say, ‘I feel,’ and you could respond with, ‘That sounds difficult,’ or ‘I hear your frustration.’ You listen for the cue the other person is giving and respond without bringing judgment to their emotion.

A decision-maker in need of informational support will ask if you have the information they need available. If you do, you can provide it. Otherwise, you can ask what information or data would be useful for them at this point. In a professional setting, speaking to what a decision-maker is asking for makes them feel like you are truly collaborating and giving them the support they need.

When offering analytical support, you can listen for something like ‘How would you interpret’ or ‘What does this mean?’ In these instances, somebody is asking for some kind of interpretation or synthesis. If you think that you have that at your ready, terrific. If not, you could say, ‘What kind of analysis would help you think this through?’ so that you can be directly responsive.

Reflective support helps decision-makers clarify their own thoughts and priorities. You might hear a decision-maker say, ‘I can’t decide’ or ‘I’m conflicted.’ This does not mean they’re asking you to decide for them. You can ask them back, ‘What’s the goal you want to achieve?’ or ‘What’s your priority here?’ and that can help them to bring forth again their own priorities and a solution that they already may have in mind.”

What are some common challenges people face when practicing active listening, and how can they overcome them?

“The toughest thing to remember when actively listening to another person is that you are not the decision-maker. The idea that the other person is a capable decision-maker and their decisions are their own is very important, and one way to pair active listening with this idea is to simply pause. We’re so trained to jump right into conversations that it feels unnatural to take an extra beat, but waiting for a moment to consider what the other person is trying to convey and having that metacognition come forward is going to make it easier for you to be in service to the other person.”

How do you see the principles of active listening evolving in the future to support decision-making across different industries?

“One of my recent research projects, which we discussed during an earlier eCornell Keynote, identified five different ways people approach decisions, each of which has a different underlying value structure. This means individuals are optimizing for different things in their decision-making process. Once you can identify which problem-solver profile somebody is, the act of listening becomes much easier.

For example, if you know someone is a ‘detective’ — like I am — when you come to them with an answer, they’ll want to see the data that supports it. So, if you say to me, ‘Cheryl, this is the evidence I have that supports this hypothesis, and I think we should move in that direction.’ I am going to feel so appreciative that you recognized my need for evidence and allowed me to assess whether that evidence makes sense to me.

That is a great way that I’ve seen companies and teams really bring this idea of active listening forward to streamline decision-making, build trust between team members and increase productivity by aligning communication styles with individual problem-solving approaches.”

Interested in learning more? Discover how you can leverage your problem-solver profile to tackle challenging problems in the Complex Decision-Making certificate program, authored by Cheryl Strauss Einhorn.

This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity. Experience the full Keynote “Active Listening: Supporting People During Difficult Decisions” on the eCornell website.