You may have heard the phrase – “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” Stephen Covey.
You may not have ever given it much thought before. Listening can be a wonderful experience, because it is so rare. If you are lucky enough to feel that someone is listening to you they may offer you empathy and understanding, and most importantly an ear to listen. Most people however do not listen on a very deep level. They listen in conversation mode and often can reply to you based on their experience. Often people are more focussed on what the will say next rather than sit and listen to what is being said. This is true sometimes of all of us.
This is where the role of the coach can be so powerful. Coaching is all about listening on a deeper level. The coach will listen and observe in a variety of ways. Using awareness of what is being said, the way it is being delivered, for example speed of speech and use of body language. The coach will use a heightened sense of awareness and guide the client. The coach is not passively listening but is using effective questioning to raise the awareness of the client. There is action in this listening process which is most effective to the needs of the client.
