Conducting coaching sessions involves much more than simply speaking or giving advice to your coachee. It is crucial to understand the issues and circumstances before being able to offer expert guidance. Hence, active listening is an integral part of coaching within corporations.

But how do we define active listening? And what differentiates it from “passive” listening?

What Is Active Listening?

Active listening involves focusing on what a speaker has to say – reflecting on their message and formulating responses that promote meaningful conversation. When you actively listen, you are not only processing information but also letting your coachee know that they have your undivided attention.

Hence, practising it requires empathy and mindfulness, especially when interacting with your client. Besides, verbal cues like your tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions should be regarded carefully during conversations.

For example, sitting up straight, maintaining eye contact, replying with affirmative nods, and waiting for your turn to speak are all part of active listening. It is very different from passive listening, where a listener only hears the spoken words but fails to process the message. Passive listening often leads to misunderstandings and information gaps, which could be detrimental to your coaching session.

Keeping this in mind, below are a few things that active listening can help you accomplish during your coaching sessions:

Builds Trust with Your Clients

Trust is essential in a coaching relationship, as it encourages better communication and cooperation. After all, it is hard to get someone to work with you if they do not feel comfortable in your presence.

To gain this trust, coaches must be open to new perspectives and ideas. Even if you have contrasting views, active listening encourages you to withhold them while your coachee is speaking. It helps you foster a safe environment where your client can openly express their problems without fear of judgement.

Remember, you cannot help your coachee if you do not know the full extent of their situation. It can be challenging for them to be honest if you invalidate their experiences at every opportunity. By giving them the freedom to express their genuine thoughts and feelings, you can better help them find fitting solutions.

Lets You Provide More Effective Feedback

As discussed in the introduction, it is hard to offer counsel when you don’t have a firm grasp on the matter at hand. That said, active listening encourages you to understand the concerns of your coachee before formulating solutions. It lets you assess each problem thoroughly to enable you to give better advice. Since active listening encourages you to withhold judgement, this also prevents your personal views from interfering with your understanding of a message.

Additionally, if something is unclear to you, active listening entails asking for clarifications through open-ended questions like “Can you further explain this?” Doing so gives your clients the space to reflect and formulate appropriate answers. Without this crucial step, it can be easy to misconstrue your coachee’s thoughts and feelings, making it harder to find solutions that address their needs.

Research also shows that people are more likely to remember the takeaways of a coaching session when they feel heard. It is why active listening can pave the way for more productive coaching sessions—and, as a result, better personal growth for your coachee.

Creates Lasting Professional Relationships

Since active listening establishes a relationship of trust and support, your coaching sessions can provide a pleasant learning experience for every coachee. It can be a valuable networking opportunity, as clients who enjoy your sessions are likely to continue recommending and investing in your services.

Do you think you could do better in terms of active listening? Fortunately, you can practise many techniques to help you become a better listener in your coaching sessions.

Tips for Better Active Listening

First and foremost, do provide your coachee with the opportunity to speak uninterrupted. Avoid completing their sentences, criticising, or coming up with solutions before they’ve had a chance to express their thoughts and feelings.

Second, be sure to reflect on what your coachee says. It helps you empathise with them better and prevents you from making incorrect assumptions about their situation.

One way of doing this is by giving them an interpretation of what they said – paraphrasing it in your own words. You can start your reflection with phrases like “What I’m hearing is …” and “In other words …” Be sure to end your interpretation with a request for clarification, such as “Did I get that right?” or “Is there anything else you’d like for me to know?”

Lastly, summarise the key points of your coachee’s message and ask them to do the same for you. A good summary will clarify your responsibilities and promote accountability to ensure that you are on the same page after each session.

Being a successful coach doesn’t just revolve around expertise or knowledge. Aiding in your client’s personal development also involves a great deal of trust and collaboration. As mentioned in the sections above, the best way to accomplish this is by practising active listening. By doing so, you can conduct more productive conversations that lead to better outcomes and satisfied clients. For more information on communication skills, read here.

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