We all know the importance of good listening skills – we’ve “heard” it all before, right? But according to Jim Knight, a renowned instructional coaching researcher and coach, active listening is the most important mentoring skill for building a trusting and effective relationship.
Watch the video of Jim Knight sharing his thinking on active listening. Make a note of any particular statement or idea that resonates with you. Jot your notes on the notetaking tab or in your Workshop Journal.
Reflect
Jim Knight suggests, “When we listen, one way of going deeper is to ask ourselves, ‘Am I hearing the public voice or the private voice?’” Try this: next time you are having a conversation, try to ask the person you are talking to a question regarding how they feel about something. In listening to their response, try to determine if you are hearing the public voice or the private voice. ‘Then ask yourself how might your response have been different if they had used their “other” voice?”