As a coach I am re-learning the importance of listening. I am not talking about hearing, I am talking about a deep listening that includes using your mind, heart, and intuition. Listening is one of the toughest things to master. If you have this skill well developed, while others are talking, you are not thinking of ANYTHING to say back to the speaker. You are present only to what is being said and how it is being said. You are listening with your eyes, also. You trying to understand who the person is and what they are conveying. Below are helpful hints in order to assist you in becoming a masterful listener.
- Drop everything else that you are doing. Purely listen.
- Quiet your mind. Let go of all of the thoughts or assumptions in your head.
- Be in the here and now. You are not jumping ahead to any solutions, and you are not thinking about how this person behaved in the past.
- Open your heart wide. Listening thrives when we have an open heart.
- Drop you ego. Don’t let you ego drive your listening. Listening is not about finding your right answer or being impressive.
- Be agenda less.
- Take in the persons’ whole being including how they are speaking, and their presence.
- Trust in knowing that this person has all of their answers within.
- Evoke space that feels safe.
- Breath. Make sure that you are taking in oxygen all the way into your belly.
In coaching we believe people know all of the answers. We provide the space and the right questions in order to help guide people to their inner wisdom and truth.
