As a coach, it’s essential that I actively listen to my clients.  If you’re a leader, career professional, job seeker, spouse, parent, or someone that interacts with people – you need to know how to listen actively!

Yeah, that’s my not-so-subtle way of saying EVERYONE needs this skill!

For those that are not already familiar, there are three levels of listening:

• Internal Listening: At this first level, we’re internally focused and “listening to speak.”  For example, someone tells you about their recent vacation, and while they are speaking, you’re thinking about what you want to say to them about your vacation. You are building rapport and connecting on common ground.  It’s a great way to enter into a conversation initially.
• Focused Listening: This second level is where active listening begins. Your focus is on the other person, their ideas, thoughts, and feelings.  You are engaged in understanding their motivations, reality, and perspectives.
• Global Listening: This highest level is where you listen beyond the words. You’re using your other senses to pick up on other cues and the energy of the conversation to understand the environment and subtext. If you’ve ever heard someone say “read the room,” they refer to this listening level.

So how can you strengthen your ability to listen actively?  Here are a few things to try:

• Get Grounded: If you have time to prepare for a conversation, take a few minutes to ground yourself.  Do a deep breathing exercise and focus on being fully present.  If you’re facilitating a meeting, help everyone get grounded by leading a breathing exercise at the beginning.
• Reduce Distractions: With many of us working from our home offices, we’ve become masters at dealing with distractions! For myself, I discovered that my best listening happens when I wear my earbuds and turn off my web conference camera.  Sometimes I even close my eyes to immerse myself in the conversation entirely.
• Take Notes: Capture a few words and phrases to help you remember the conversation. If the speaker sees you taking notes, they will feel valued.  And you can refer to these notes later in the conversation to help you with the following items in my list.
• Paraphrase: Summarize what you heard in your own words and include your interpretation of the tone.  For example, “You shared your thoughts about ___________, and from your tone I’m sensing _______________.”
• Ask Questions: Be curious! If you don’t want to interrupt the flow of the conversation, take note of your question to ask later.  And, if you’re not quick on your feet with asking questions, plan ahead by preparing a few questions BEFORE entering into a conversation.

Actively listening requires you to be intentional.  What will you do this week to be more deliberate and listen more actively?

Wishing you the best!