Listening...
Listening. Sounds easy… but it really isn’t. Reflecting on the core competency of “Listens Actively”, it dawned on me how little we (by we I’m really just referring to myself) pay attention to the different nuances in somebody’s communication. There’s so much involved and so much to “listen” to in a conversation but when we do pay attention, it helps us, the coach better support our client. I’m going to summarise my reflections on the Listens Actively Core Competency in the following 3 points: 1. Filters – Everyone communicates through “filters”. We’re all different in our upbringing, cultural background, we have different values and beliefs, all these shapes our perspectives. All these show up in the way we speak and the way we listen. Being aware of these filters helps us be better listeners. As a coach we need to be aware of how the coachee’s filters are shaping what is being said and likewise, how our own filters could be “distorting” what a coachee is saying. Paying attent...