Unlocking the Power of Listening: Navigating the Three Levels of Active Listening

Listening is one of the most complex skills for a leader, as we are intrinsically trained to be solution providers. We like to look after people and often take ownership of issues. Sometimes we must sit quietly and ensure the other person is heard.

It is one thing to listen to a person attentively. However, the art of hearing someone, understanding what they are saying, what they mean, and responding to that is an advanced art form.

There are three levels of listening. When used at the correct time and in the right way, each level allows us to get the most out of our conversations.

Level 1: Internal Listening (Focused on Self)

At this level, you focus on yourself and your reactions to the other person's words.

You could be thinking about how you've had a similar experience to what this person is talking about or that you disagree with what they are saying.

You are reacting to what they say, which is excellent in a mentorship situation but not helpful in a coaching environment.

You might miss crucial information and rush into sharing your thoughts, leaving the person unheard.

Level 2: Focused Listening (Focused on Other)

You are unattached from yourself, your thoughts, agenda, and opinions at this level. You are instead focused on the person, what they are saying, and taking all of that in.

This might seem natural in certain situations, e.g., listening to someone significant to us, but in other scenarios, it may be something we need to make a conscious effort to do. To practice level 2 listening, take a few deep breaths before conversing. Let go of anything that happened prior, or that will happen after.

At this level, it's normal to fall back to level one — e.g., you might start thinking about what is an excellent question to ask next. When you catch yourself in this situation, take a breath and refocus on the conversation.

Level 3: Global Listening (Focused on context and what isn't being said)

At this level, you are tuned to the person. You not only listen to the words but the tone, the pauses in conversation, and their body language.

To reach this level, you must learn to pick up on the non-verbal parts of communication. Things like

1. Facial expressions
2. Gestures
3. Paralinguistics (such as loudness or tone of voice)
4. Body language
5. Proxemics or personal space
6. Eye gaze, haptics (touch)
7. Appearance

Once you master this level, you can go to any conversation; the other part will feel like you are truly listening to them!

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