Mastering the Art of Listening: A Coach’s Guide to the 3 Levels

Listening is the cornerstone of effective coaching. It goes far beyond simply hearing words; it’s about truly understanding and connecting with your client. As a coach, your ability to listen deeply can make the difference between a superficial interaction and a transformative experience for your client.

Effective listening allows coaches to:

1. Build trust and rapport with clients
2. Understand the client’s underlying needs and motivations
3. Pick up on subtle cues that may reveal deeper issues
4. Ask more relevant and powerful questionsGuide the client towards self-discovery and growth

In the fast-paced world of today, where distractions are numerous and attention spans are short, the art of deep listening has become even more crucial. It sets apart great coaches from good ones and creates an environment where clients feel truly heard and understood.

Brief overview of the three levels of listening

The concept of three levels of listening, as developed by the Co-Active Training Institute (CTI), provides a framework for understanding and improving our listening skills. These levels are:

Level 1: Internal Listening This is the most basic level, where the listener’s focus is primarily on their own thoughts, opinions, and experiences. While listening, they’re often thinking about how the information relates to them or what they’ll say next.

Level 2: Focused Listening At this level, the listener’s attention is fully directed towards the speaker. The listener is engaged and curious, focusing intently on the speaker’s words, tone, and immediate non-verbal cues.

Level 3: Global Listening This is the deepest level of listening, where the listener is attuned not only to the speaker but also to the broader context. They pick up on energy shifts, unspoken emotions, and the overall atmosphere of the conversation.

Each level serves a purpose, and skilled coaches learn to navigate between these levels as needed during a coaching session. As we delve deeper into each level, we’ll explore how to recognize them, when to use them, and how to develop the skills necessary to listen at each level effectively. By mastering these three levels of listening, coaches can dramatically enhance their ability to support and guide their clients towards meaningful insights and lasting change.

Level 1: Internal Listening

Level 1 listening, also known as internal listening, is the most basic form of listening. In this state, the listener’s focus is primarily inward, on their own thoughts, feelings, and reactions. While the other person is speaking, the listener is largely absorbed in their own internal dialogue.

Characteristics of Level 1 listening include:

• Self-centered focus
• Frequent internal commentary or judgment
• Tendency to relate the speaker’s words to personal experiences
• Preparation of responses while the other person is still speaking
• Limited retention of what the speaker is actually saying

Useful situations:

• Brainstorming sessions where quick idea generation is needed
• Emergency situations requiring immediate personal action
• Self-reflection exercises

Not useful:

• During coaching sessions, where the focus should be on the client
• When building rapport or trust with others
• In situations requiring empathy and understanding
• When detailed information needs to be retained

How to recognize when you’re in Level 1

Recognizing when you’re in Level 1 listening is crucial for coaches. Signs include:

• Realizing you’ve missed parts of what the client has said
• Finding yourself formulating advice or solutions prematurely
• Feeling impatient or wanting to interrupt
• Noticing your mind wandering to personal concerns or experiences
• Experiencing an urge to share your own similar experiences

Techniques to move beyond Level 1 in coaching sessions

• Practice mindfulness: Regularly engage in mindfulness exercises to increase your awareness of your internal state.
• Use physical cues: Lean slightly forward or maintain eye contact to physically orient yourself towards the speaker.
• Implement the “pause technique”: Before responding, pause for a moment to ensure you’re not jumping in with your own thoughts prematurely.
• Ask clarifying questions: This forces you to focus on what the client is saying rather than your internal dialogue.
• Acknowledge and redirect: If you catch yourself in Level 1, mentally acknowledge it and consciously refocus on the client.
• Cultivate curiosity: Approach each client interaction with genuine curiosity about their perspective, which naturally shifts focus away from yourself.
• Practice active listening exercises: Regularly engage in exercises where you need to repeat back or summarize what someone has said without adding your own interpretation.
• Use a “mental shelf”: Visualize placing your own thoughts on a shelf to revisit later, allowing you to focus fully on the client.

By recognizing when you’re in Level 1 listening and employing these techniques, coaches can move towards more effective listening levels, enhancing their ability to truly hear and understand their clients. Remember, while Level 1 listening is a natural state, the goal in coaching is to minimize time spent here and elevate to higher levels of listening for more impactful sessions.

Level 2: Focused Listening

Level 2 listening, also known as focused listening, is characterized by intense concentration on the speaker. In this state, the listener’s attention is fully directed towards the other person, their words, and their immediate non-verbal cues.

Key characteristics of Level 2 listening include:

• Full attention on the speaker
• Minimal internal dialogue or self-referential thoughts
• Awareness of the speaker’s tone, pace, and immediate body language
• Ability to recall specific details of what was said
• Genuine curiosity about the speaker’s message

Active listening is a crucial component of Level 2 listening. It involves:

• Providing verbal and non-verbal feedback to show engagement
• Asking clarifying questions to ensure understanding
• Paraphrasing or summarizing to confirm comprehension
• Avoiding interruptions and allowing for pauses and silences
• Demonstrating empathy and understanding

Benefits of Level 2 listening in coaching

1. Builds trust and rapport with clients
2. Enhances understanding of the client’s perspective
3. Allows for more accurate and relevant responses
4. Encourages clients to open up and share more deeply
5. Reduces misunderstandings and miscommunications
6. Improves the coach’s ability to ask powerful questions
7. Creates a safe and supportive environment for clients

Techniques to improve focused listening skills

1. Practice mindful presence: Engage in mindfulness exercises to improve your ability to stay present in the moment.
2. Develop a ‘listening posture’: Adopt a physical stance that helps you focus, such as leaning slightly forward or maintaining an open body position.
3. Use the ‘parking lot’ technique: Mentally note any distracting thoughts to revisit later, allowing you to refocus on the speaker.
4. Employ reflective listening: Regularly paraphrase or summarize what the client has said to ensure accurate understanding.
5. Practice non-judgmental awareness: Observe your own reactions without letting them interfere with your listening.
6. Utilize silence effectively: Become comfortable with pauses, allowing the client space to think and speak.
7. Engage in listening exercises: Regularly practice focused listening in various contexts to strengthen this skill.
8. Develop curiosity: Cultivate genuine interest in understanding your client’s perspective.
9. Monitor your energy levels: Ensure you’re well-rested and energized for coaching sessions to maintain focus.
10. Use visual focus: If in person, maintain appropriate eye contact. If virtual, look at the camera to convey attentiveness.

By mastering Level 2 listening, coaches can significantly enhance their effectiveness. This level of listening creates a foundation of understanding and connection, enabling coaches to guide their clients more effectively towards insights and growth. Remember, while Level 2 listening requires more energy and focus than Level 1, it’s a crucial skill for any coach aiming to create meaningful change for their clients.

Level 3: Global Listening

Level 3 listening, also known as global listening, is the deepest and most comprehensive form of listening. It encompasses everything happening in the environment, including subtle energies and unspoken communications.

Key characteristics of Level 3 listening include:

• Awareness of the entire context, beyond just the words spoken
• Attunement to emotional undercurrents and energy shifts
• Perception of subtle body language and micro-expressions
• Sensing of the overall atmosphere or “mood” of the conversation
• Intuitive insights about what’s not being said
• Awareness of the relationship dynamics at play

In Level 3 listening, non-verbal cues and energy play a crucial role:

• Body language: Posture, gestures, and facial expressions can reveal hidden emotions or contradictions
• Tone and pace: Changes in voice can indicate shifts in emotional state or level of comfort
• Energy shifts: Sudden changes in the client’s energy can signal important moments or realizations
• Silence: The quality of silence (comfortable, tense, thoughtful) can be as informative as words
• Environmental factors: The setting and any changes in it can influence the conversation

Level 3 listening significantly improves coaching outcomes by:

1. Allowing coaches to pick up on underlying issues not explicitly stated
2. Enabling more intuitive and timely interventions
3. Helping coaches sense when to probe deeper or when to back off
4. Facilitating a deeper connection and understanding between coach and client
5. Enabling coaches to address incongruencies between what’s said and what’s communicated non-verbally
6. Enhancing the coach’s ability to create a safe and supportive environment
7. Improving the timing and relevance of questions and observations

To enhance Level 3 listening abilities:

1. Practice mindfulness meditation: This helps develop overall awareness and presence.
2. Engage in body awareness exercises: Improve your ability to sense subtle physical cues in yourself and others.
3. Develop your intuition: Trust and act on your intuitive hunches during coaching sessions.
4. Cultivate emotional intelligence: Enhance your ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others.
5. Practice energy sensing: Develop your capacity to feel the energy in a room or between people.
6. Use reflection techniques: Regularly reflect on coaching sessions to identify moments of Level 3 insights.
7. Seek feedback: Ask clients or peers about non-verbal cues you might have missed.
8. Study non-verbal communication: Learn about micro-expressions and subtle body language cues.
9. Practice in diverse environments: Expose yourself to various settings to enhance your global awareness.
10. Develop a regular self-care routine: Maintain your own emotional and energetic balance to be more attuned to others.
11. Use visualization techniques: Before sessions, visualize yourself in a state of heightened awareness.
12. Engage in role-play exercises: Practice Level 3 listening in simulated coaching scenarios.

Mastering Level 3 listening is often considered the pinnacle of coaching skills. It allows coaches to tap into a wealth of information beyond the spoken word, leading to more profound insights and transformative coaching experiences. While it requires significant practice and self-awareness to develop, the ability to listen at this level can dramatically elevate a coach’s effectiveness and the value they bring to their clients.

Exercises to Improve Listening Skills

Self-assessment of current listening habits

1. Listening Journal:
   • Keep a daily log of your listening experiences for a week.
   • Note which level you were primarily in during each interaction.
   • Reflect on what triggered shifts between levels.
2. Recorded Conversation Analysis:
   • With permission, record a coaching session or conversation.
   • Listen back and analyze your listening patterns.
   • Note moments where you missed important cues or shifted levels.
3. Mindfulness Check-in:
   • Set random reminders throughout the day.
   • When prompted, pause and assess your current listening level.
   • Note what you’re focusing on and any distractions.
4. Client Feedback Survey:
   • Create a brief survey for clients about your listening skills.
   • Include questions about how heard and understood they feel.
   • Use the feedback to identify areas for improvement.

Practice scenarios for each level

1. Level 1 Listening Exercise:
   • Have a partner describe a complex topic for 2 minutes.
   • Intentionally focus on your own thoughts and reactions.
   • Afterwards, try to summarize what was said.
   • Reflect on how much you missed due to internal focus.
2. Level 2 Listening Exercise:
   • Engage in a “back-to-back” conversation where you can’t see the speaker.
   • Focus intensely on their words, tone, and vocal patterns.
   • Provide a detailed summary of what was said and how it was conveyed.
3. Level 3 Listening Exercise:
   • Watch a muted video of a conversation.
   • Try to discern the topic and emotional states based solely on non-verbal cues.
   • Compare your observations with the actual conversation content.
4. Progressive Listening Exercise:
   • Have three separate conversations on the same topic.
   • In each, consciously practice a different level of listening.
   • Reflect on how your understanding and insights changed at each level.

Peer feedback and reflection exercises

1. Listening Triads:
   • Form groups of three: speaker, listener, and observer.
   • Rotate roles, with the observer providing feedback on the listener’s skills.
   • Discuss and reflect as a group after each round.
2. “Spot the Level” Game:
   • In a group setting, have one person be the speaker.
   • Others try to identify which listening level the designated listener is operating at.
   • Discuss cues that indicated each level.
3. Peer Coaching Sessions:
   • Pair up with a fellow coach for reciprocal coaching sessions.
   • Focus specifically on practicing and improving listening skills.
   • Provide detailed feedback to each other after each session.
4. Listening Challenges:
   • Set weekly listening challenges for a group of peers (e.g., “Practice Level 3 listening in at least 3 conversations this week”).
   • Meet to share experiences and insights gained from each challenge.
5. Reflection Circles:
   • In a group, have each person share a recent listening experience.
   • Others ask probing questions to deepen reflection.
   • Collectively brainstorm strategies for improvement.
6. Video Analysis:
   • Record mock coaching sessions with peers.
   • Watch the videos together, pausing to discuss listening moments.
   • Provide constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement.
7. Listening Journaling Partners:
   • Pair up with a peer for regular journaling about listening experiences.
   • Exchange journals weekly and provide thoughtful feedback and observations.

In conclusion, the art of listening is at the heart of effective coaching. By mastering the three levels of listening, you equip yourself with a powerful tool to facilitate transformation and growth in your clients. As you continue to refine these skills, you’ll find that your capacity to understand, empathize, and guide others expands exponentially. Embrace this journey with enthusiasm and dedication, knowing that your growth as a listener directly translates to your impact as a coach. The path of mastery in listening is ongoing, but the rewards – for you, your clients, and the coaching profession as a whole – are immeasurable.

Reference articles :

https://www.betterup.com/blog/types-of-listening
https://coactive.com/resources/blogs/levels-of-listening
https://www.coachingoutsidethebox.net/2022/08/26/3-levels-listening