Levels of Listening

The Reader’s Digest Version

Listening• Pair up with someone you don’t know (or who you know

least).

• Choose who will be the speaker and who will be the listener.

• Listener: Your role is to listen intently- no asking questions

• Speaker: In one minute, you will share with your listener what you enjoy most about working in the field of child welfare .

Listening

Switch Roles

Listener becomes the Speaker Speaker becomes the Listener

• Listener: Your role is to listen intently- no asking questions

• Speaker: In one minute, you will share with your listener what you enjoy most about working in the field of child welfare.

The Fastest Debrief Ever• In your pairs, briefly discuss the following

Listener: – How would you rate yourself as a listener for this exercise?

• 1 = you are wondering if they teach a class in listening you could enroll in

• 10 = being a good listener is just who you are and you rocked this

Speaker: – How did it feel to be the speaker?

Add anything else you want to share with your partner

Listening – Level 1• Listening to your own voice• Paying attention to what is happening inside of you – your own thoughts,

feelings, beliefs, judgments• We spend most of our time here• The spotlight is shining on you

• Examples– Thinking about how something being said impacts you or what you

think about it– Thinking about what you would do or how you might fix the “problem”

When coaches are listening at level 1, they are focused on themselves instead of the learner and they will miss important information the learner is expressing.

Level 1 Listening

Listening – Level 2• Complete and focused attention is on the other person• Listening to what the other person is saying• Paying attention to emotion• The spotlight is shining on the other person• Silence allows space for the learner

• Example– You are on a date (with someone you like) in a noisy restaurant and

the only thing you are aware of is the person sitting across from you

When coaches listen at level 2 they are able to see beyond the words that the person is using

Listening – Level 2

Practice!With the same partner…

• Listener – use level 2 listening

• Speaker – In one minute, talk about what you’ve done in your current role that you are most proud of?

• Switch roles!

A Seriously Short Debrief

• In your pairs, briefly discuss the following:

Listener: – What did you notice about the difference between level 2

and level 3 listening?

Speaker: – What did you notice about the difference between level 2

and level 3 listening?

Add anything else you want to share with your partner

Listening – Level 3