Ximena Vengoechea: How to uncover hidden needs in a conversation Artwork

Design To Be Conversation

The Design To Be Conversation podcast is a series of conversations with design leaders about how investing in their EQ has impacted their design careers. Rachel Weissman, the host of the show, is the Founder of Design To Be, a design leader, an EQ Coach, and a Meditation & Yoga Teacher. As a design leader, she has agency, start-up, and in-house experience most recently working at Google and Salesforce. The purpose of our show is to inspire designers with insightful conversations. Design To Be Conversation is brought to you by Design To Be, a community that elevates designers to become empowered, educated, and effective using EQ-based tools and practices. Visit us at www.designtobe.com.

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Design To Be Conversation

Ximena Vengoechea: How to uncover hidden needs in a conversation

April 19, 2022 • Design To Be • Episode 48

In today’s episode, I speak with Ximena Vengoechea. Ximena is a user researcher, writer, and illustrator whose work on personal and professional development has been published in Inc., The Washington Post, Newsweek, and Huffington Post. She is the author of the new book, Listen Like You Mean it: Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection (Portfolio/Penguin Random House). She is a contributor at Fast Company and The Muse, and writes Letters from Ximena, a newsletter on tech, culture, career, and creativity. She is best known for her project The Life Audit. An experienced manager, mentor, and researcher in the tech industry, she previously worked at Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter. She is currently working on her second book, a guide to reclaiming rest.

We dive into how to cultivate a listening mindset through humility, curiosity, and empathy; how to identify your own default listening mode; and ways to uncover hidden needs in a conversation.