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Highly developed listening skills sit alongside questioning skills as a core requirement of effective workplace coaches. Listening is something we all feel we do well but like any form of skill it needs to be practiced and developed to get the best from it. A coach who listens attentively in coaching session will feel tired at the end of it because of the effort expended.
The coach has to listen from the perspective of the learner, their situation and their view of the world and coaching area. The temptation for a coach is to only listen and be present from their perspective and not the learners. Leadership ‘guru’ Stephen Covey once said:
“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”
There are distinct levels to listening that a coach needs to be aware of and know where they need to be within this to not just be listening effectively but also demonstrating to the learner that they are listening. Different books and websites cite different models and whilst they are different it is the principle and process that are important and ultimately similar.