Five Ways To Read Someone’s Mind

While telepathy sounds like a superpower, reading someone’s mind is actually a skill that can be learned. From anticipating the needs of a client to knowing how to approach your boss, developing an inner intuition about what others value can help you get ahead.

People send signals about their thoughts all the time,  but it can take practice to tune in. “When the messages you receive say that the person isn’t on the same page, these are clues that are telling you to step back and redirect. “It’s time to change the conversation or change your approach.”
There are five ways you can read someone’s mind–or at least take an educated guess–and build better business relationships:

1. Start With Generational Differences

Understanding someone’s generation can give insight about how he or she thinks. It’s a lens through which they view life, says Miner.
Understanding someone’s generation will help you know the best way to approach them to develop a relationship.
Generations also value different things.

2. Recognize Hot Buttons

Another way to tell what someone is thinking is to look for their pain points, which involves asking the right questions.  it’s important to establish a personal bond to get to know what they consider to be important. “You have to have big ears and a small mouth.” skipping pre-canned conversations and entering the relationship as a discussion. “Ask open-ended questions that allow the person to share their strengths and challenges,”. “Or share stories about what you’ve done for others. Nine times out of 10, people will agree that they have the same issue, which helps you better understand what they need.”

3. Consider Personalities

It can help to notice and observe individual qualities to determine who they are as a person and what’s important to them.
Relates well when people methodically lay out their ideas: “I’ve taught my team that they have to come to me prepared to back up their initiative with numbers.
Look for clues into someone’s personality by paying attention to characteristics and verbiage. Someone who prefers to be dominant, for example, might have an overly firm handshake. People who welcome humor will often insert sarcasm into a conversation. Use these clues to determine their values and their approach.

4. Look for Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal behavior is also important,  watching for body language clues. If someone leans in, they’re engaged. If they back up, look down, or turn away, they aren’t relating to what you’re saying.

5. Be a Good Listener

Finally, listen to what someone is saying as well as what they’re not saying. While this is harder when the conversation is done over the phone, an engaged or passionate voice is obvious. It’s also apparent when someone is frustrated.
“Their tone changes, or you’ll hear a sigh “It’s important to develop a good ear that can listen for the subtle sounds.”
Anything critical or that involves emotion should never be communicated by email. “Pick up the phone. “Emails are awful for conveying meaning behind the words. They can be a real hindrance to being perceptive.”




Source: www.fastcompany.com