One of my favourite things to do is to listen. I like to listen to the words used, how they’re pronounced, what they represent, their tone.
I love listening to body language and listening to what’s not being said verbally.
Taken from ambiguity.acm.org: “Have you ever heard the adage that communication is only 7% verbal and 93% non-verbal – body language (55), tonal (38)?”
It’s false.
Author Philip Yaffe continues [paraphrased], “Certainly, proper tone & body language can aid the process. But by their very nature, these ancillary activities can convey only emphasis or emotion.”
Learning through listening actively is important as a coach. Managing internal & external stakeholders, Boards, clients, partners, et al., requires active listening. Seeing and interpreting between the lines of words.
Ask your coach what’s beneath the surface. I bet they’ll hear more than you do.
Don’t have one? Ask me. I happen to have years of active listening experience.
