Are you really listening…?
nuggetsoflearning • November 28, 2016
Everyone deserves a damned good listening too.
So how good are you?
Often trainers describe 5 levels:-
- Ignoring
- Pretending
- Selective
- Active
- Empathetic
To simplify it even further and make it really “real”, work to the model of 3 levels of listening.
Level 1 – internal listening
- You are not entirely giving the agenda to the person
- You ask too many questions that you want the answers to
- You are thinking about the next thing to say and analysing what you said before
- Talking about yourself
- You are focusing too much on you
Level 2 – Focused listening
- You are in total rapport, you match each other in tone, energy and posture
- You are following their agenda and not interrupting
- Your questions probe and clarify and stay on the topic
- Never giving advice
- You summarise their dialogue so that they stay on their agenda
- You are listening for underlying meaning and you are aware of your impact
- You are curious about them
Level 3 – Global listening
- Takes in everything
- You can feel the energy in their words
- Aware of everything at level 2, however aware of the emotion behind it
- Skilled to take risks during the conversation
- You use your intuition to input
The three levels of listening are from the Co-Active Coaching model.

Please do get in touch if you would like a workshop on listening or developing coaching skills.