Hearing Without Reacting?

I was doing a live coach training last week and as I was teaching hearing without reacting I observed people reacting as I was sharing this information with them. Hearing without reacting is one of the most valuable skills a coach learns. As coaches we hear without reacting which means we don't judge anything a client says to us - not at all. We don't wear the judgment robes and we don't decide if the client is right or wrong, at fault, or not at fault, or good or bad.

We accept the client as they are and what they say as what is for them.

When thinking about life coaching or business coaching understand that we as coaches do not fix people or groups of people. Our role is to hear neutrally where the coaching client is and where the coaching client wants to be and then to co-create ways to assist them to get to where they want to be in their life and/or work.

New life and business coaches share with me that letting go of reaction and judgment is tough. I agree. As humans we have been hard-wired and conditioned to believe our thoughts are "right". Giving up our attachment to being right takes practice.

If you are considering becoming a life coach or business coach or if you are a personal or professional coach now, I encourage you to quiet your own thoughts and your own mind. (We have a great excercise we teach our students at www.CoachInstitute.com for this!).

As you listen, focus only on your coaching client and tune out everything else. Fully accept that the clients values and goals will be different than yours.

If you do any personal or business coaching or have thought about training to become a life or business coach, the skill of hearing without reacting is key.

I encourage people to use this skill with family and friends as a side benefit, too.

Deeply tune in, hear without reaction and you'll be ready for more coaching skills and tips!

Terri Levine
www.TerriLevine.com
www.CoachInstitute.com