We're often told that it's good to talk, but what happens if nobody is listening?
Last week I was interviewed by one of my favourite humans, Ian Pettigrew for his Empowering True Strength podcast and so I wanted to be able to share it with you for a listen. I share why we need to be prepared to listen to people and not just always find it good to talk, along with my burnout from 2013 and we discuss my strengths.
People can often assume that coaching is just about asking questions, but a key and very vital coaching skill is the ability to listen. And sometimes it's not just about listening for what is being said and being able to ask powerful questions, but it's also about listening for what's not being said. Listening for changes in tone, changes in pace, language, specific words, and, being able to listen out for gut feel and changes in emotion.
When I first created the Listening Leader workshop people found it a bit odd, particularly some of the exercises and yet listening is a skill that we often don't develop. We are taught how to speak, how to get our message across, how to present, and how to be heard. And yet often the power is in the listening rather than in the speaking.
So take a listen to the podcast and get in touch if you have any questions.