Effective Listening – article by Isabella Patterson and Eloise Hanney from the Life Coaching Team
Listening is an important part of our everyday life; we are constantly listening to people and ourselves. Listening is a skill, one of which is of high value.
Listening is split into three levels:
Level one is listening which is focused on oneself. You interpret what’s said in relation to you. This is the most common level of listening, but far off from the best.
Level two is focusing on the speaker; you may be engrossed in the conversation, leaning forwards attentively. This level of listening is not practiced much in everyday life as it takes lots of time and effort.
Level three requires listening at 360 degrees; it is listening that focuses on the speaker and the wider environment. This is a more difficult level of listening, which needs you to listen to the words behind the words being said so that you can fully relate to what the speaker is saying. This type of listening also uses our intuition and the ability to hear another by understanding the person’s body language and tone of voice.
Next time you are speaking to someone, think about what level of listening you are using, and which would be most effective.
