that yothAs Coaches, we are trained in many different communication skills to aid our clients. However no other skill is more important to developing a sense of connection than the skill of active listening.
Active listening involves a way of listening and responding to the other person that improves overall understanding. This is a valuable technique that requires the listener to thoroughly absorb, understand, respond, and retain what’s being said. While engaging in active listening, the listener may also pay close attention to the speaker’s tone, behavior and body language in order to gain a better understanding of their message.
Why is active listening important?
Active listening is an important communication skill that involves fully focusing on and understanding what the other person is saying. There are multiple benefits to its’ use:
- Build better relationships: Active listening helps to establish trust and understanding, which can help you to build better relationships with the people you interact with.
- Avoid misunderstandings: When you actively listen, you are better able to understand the other person’s point of view, which can help you avoid misunderstandings and conflicts.
- Show respect: When you actively listen, you are demonstrating that you value and respect the other person’s thoughts and feelings.
- Increase productivity: Active listening can help to improve communication and collaboration, which can lead to increased productivity and better outcomes.
- Develop empathy: Active listening requires you to put yourself in the other person’s shoes, which can help you develop empathy and understanding.
Overall, active listening is an important skill that can benefit both you and the people you interact with in a variety of ways.
What we don’t want in communication
The practice of active listening takes us away from several common unhelpful listening habits such as:
- Being stuck in your own head
- Not showing respect for the speaker
- Only hearing superficial meaning (not hearing underlying meaning)
- Interrupting
- Not making eye contact
- Rushing the speaker
- Becoming distracted
- “Topping” the story (saying “that reminds me of the time…”)
- Forgetting what was said in the past
- Asking about unimportant details
- Focusing too much on details and missing the big picture
- Ignoring what you don’t understand
- Daydreaming
- Only pretending to pay attention
Any of these habits distract from the meaning behind our words and serve to lessen the effectiveness of our interactions. In this way, employing the skill of active listening will increase the understanding within our communication and foster greater connection within those relationships.
The Big 6 (Skills for Active Listening)
When we are practicing active lsistening, our goal is understanding. This understanding is cultivated by focusing on the meaning of what is being said. In this way, we not only focus on the words conveyed, but also the tone, pace of speach, facial expressions and gestures of the speaker.
In addition, here are six key techniques that are important to active listening:
- Paying attention
- Withholding judgment
- Reflecting
- Clarifying
- Summarizing
- Be Silent
1. Pay attention.
One goal of active listening and being an effective listener is to set a comfortable tone that gives your coachee an opportunity to think and speak. Allow “wait time” before responding. Don’t cut the speaker off, finish their sentences, or start formulating your answer before they’ve finished. Pay attention to your body language as well as your frame of mind when engaging in active listening. Making eye contact, displaying an engaged posture and smiling will show non-verbal cues of affirmation and will be encouraging. Be focused on the moment, and operate from a place of respect as the listener.
2. Withhold judgment.
Active listening requires an open mind. As a listener and a leader, be open to new ideas, new perspectives, and new possibilities when practicing active listening. Even when good listeners have strong views, they suspend judgment, hold any criticisms, and avoid arguing or selling their point right away.
3. Reflect.
When you’re the listener, don’t assume that you understand the other person correctly — or that they know you’ve heard them. Mirror their information and emotions by periodically paraphrasing key points. Reflecting is an active listening technique that indicates that you and your counterpart are on the same page.
4. Clarify.
Don’t be shy to ask questions about any issue that’s ambiguous or unclear when engaging in active listening. Clarifying involves asking questions of the speaker to ensure that the correct message has been received. Clarification usually involves the use of open questions which enables the speaker to expand on certain points as necessary.
5. Summarize.
Restating key themes as the conversation confirms and solidifies your grasp of the other person’s point of view. It also helps both parties to be clear on what has been said and its’ meaning. By summarizing the points made during the conversation, you allow for clarification and correction if necessary
6. Be Silent.
Active listening is first about understanding the other person, then about being understood as the listener. Allowing time for the processing of thoughts and ideas is necessary in communication. Be silent and be comfortable in that silence. Wait. Allow time to process, to think and create understanding. Asking questions and allowing space for thoughtful responses is the essence of active listening.
Final Thoughts
Active listening is one of the most important elements within a Coaching relationship. It is also a skill that is applicable to many other situations where communication is key. Developing a system by which the speaker feels heard will not only facilitate better relationships but will increase connection on a fundamental level.
Think of it in terms of being the last to speak.
When we are the last to speak, we make others feel heard. Whether the person says something you agree with or disagree with, resist shaking your head. Simply ask questions so that you can understand what they mean and why they hold the opinion or perspective that they do.
The applications are endless. Specifically for managers and leaders, active listening can foster a feeling of connection and being heard. Using these techniques will build greater empathy within teams and organizations and encourage a deeper connection. This is particularly useful within the evolving lanscape of current leadership roles and HR professionals.
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Sources
- Harry Wegger Jr., Gina R. Castle & Melissa C. Emmett. “Active Listening in Peer Interviews: The Influence of Message Paraphrasing on Perceptions of Listening Skill” (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10904010903466311) Accessed 04/19/2021.
- Jeremy Sutton “Active Listening: The Art of Empathetic Conversation” (https://positivepsychology.com/active-listening/) Accessed 04/19/21
- Mark Runyon “How Active Listening Can Make You A Better Leader” (https://enterprisersproject.com/article/2021/11/how-active-listening-can-make-you-better-leader) Accessed 12/01/21