“Our goal as listeners is to ensure that our words and bodies communicate to our conversation partners that they have our attention. We must do everything we can to help people feel they are heard.” – Jim Knight
As coaches, we are always striving to create the conditions for people to do their best thinking and continue exploring the possibilities for growth. Developing skill of listening is an essential element for creating these conditions. In this post, we share a checklist for Listening to Encourage Thinking and 4 ways you can get started with refining and growing your skills as a listener.
Get Clear on the Actions
What does it actually look like when we are truly listening to encourage thinking? Take a few minutes to review the checklist below. Think of a person in your life who listens well and has encouraged you to do your best thinking.
Try it:
- What did this person do specifically from the checklist?
- How does it feel for you when someone demonstrates these actions as they are listening to you?
- What items from the checklist are areas you feel are working well for you and are strengths?
- What items from the checklist are areas you feel need attention in order to do this type of listening in your coaching work?
Record and Review
Video is one of the most powerful ways to develop and refine your craft. Now that you have a clear understanding of the Listening to Encourage Thinking Checklist, it might be time to get a clear picture of what is happening using video. It can help to truly walk the talk of learning by taking one small step toward integrating video into your own practice and setting some clear goals for yourself.
Try it:
- Ask a colleague you are partnering with if you can record a video of your next coaching conversation.
- Be sure to share the purpose of WHY you are recording your conversation, e.g. “I’m hoping to improve my skills for listening so that I can encourage my partners’s thinking in our coaching conversations.”
- Select a device. Don’t overthink this part, a phone propped up on a stack of books can sometimes be the path of least resistance.
- Find a safe space to watch your recording.
- Use the Watching Yourself Checklist as a way to set up your review if you are feeling uncomfortable about
