Preconceived notions or biases are signs of poor listening. The life coach cannot project personal values onto the client's words and expect to be listening well. A good listener also does not jump to conclusions or finish the client's sentences. Instead, the life coach erases all preconceived notions and listens with a fresh mind. The life coach also does not interject judgment or opinion, especially when none was solicited. Judgment is one of the greatest obstacles to good communication. As Carter-Scott & Stewart (2007) put it, "judgments are the cancer of interpersonal relationships," (p. 61). The life coach seeks to connect with the client while suspending all judgment. A life coach learns about the client in a state of attentiveness and presence of mind. By emptying the mind and releasing the need to be right or superior, the life coach listens with an open heart. Asking open-ended questions to establish flow with clients, rather than using yes/no questions that close off the client to further talk, promotes good listening and establishes a positive communication flow.
Getting stuck on a word, idea, or concept is a poor listening habit, too. The life coach needs to use pen and paper to discharge the preoccupation with that one word or idea to refocus on the client. Almost all poor listening habits can be overcome with tools, resources, and practice.
Whitworth (2007) states, "listening is a talent each of us is given in some measure," (p. 31). While this may be true, listening is also a skill and an art that can be honed and developed. Spence & Grant (2007) found that life coaching and counseling share in common the need to listen actively. Both coaches and counselors depend on strong communication skills. Empirical evidence shows that listening actively yields results "Compared to peer coachees and controls, coachees of professional coaches were more engaged in the coaching process, had greater goal commitment and progression, and greater well-being in terms of environmental mastery," (Spence & Grant 2007). Similarly, Young & Cates (2010) found that mentoring and life coaching share in common an emphasis on strong listening. Both...
E. he may eliminate the surroundings too. So while he is paying attention to client's words, he is not measuring the impact on his own words and not picking clues from around the client and this can be disastrous because sensing is missing from the equation of listening. Level III listening is where sensing steps in. The coach is not only listening to the spoken words, he is also subtly
Hero's Journey -- Life Coach Life Coach -- Hero's Journey As a Tai chi instructor, I meet many people who enroll in my classes hoping to gain better physical and mental health. Some people are just looking for a way to bring more peace into their lives and others are looking for a physical regime that will help them mediate the seemingly uncontrollable aspects of their lives. One of the reasons that
Coaching Color psychology is the study of color on human emotion, cognition, and behavior. Research reveals a distinct and measurable relationship between color stimuli and human emotional response. This paper seeks to add to the body of literature by focusing on applications of color psychology in life coaching. The goal of life coaching is to inspire clients to reach their highest potential. Color psychology can be used to this end. Color psychology
Coach Carter as a Tool for Therapeutic Development Though based on a true story, there are many elements of Coach Carter that can be seen as directly related to standard elements of fiction. The titular Coach himself, played compellingly by Samuel L. Jackson, is something of a Byronic hero with his harsh and unlovable exterior and a depth of conviction that does not admit for any real discussion and even excludes
Coaching Ideas that can help my Coaching Model I did a lot of online research to try to scan for ideas that could help me be a more effective coach. One of the ideas that came up from several sources is that the coaching relationship is dynamic. That is that the relationship is something that is fluid and can take many directions. To operate as an effective coach, its seems evident that
Carter never allows his students to accept the limitations that have been imposed on them. A good coach understands that students' self-concepts are shaped by their peers, parents, the media, and their adult mentors. When kids are taught that they are more likely to end up in prison than in college, they become resigned to their fate. When they are told not to bother trying in school because "basketball's
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