Better Listening Through Eliminating Distractions
From: CoachingPastors.com
One important way to improve your listening is to identify and eliminate distractions in your environment. You ca n be great at many other facets of listening, but if your phone line is full of static or you are constantly interrupted, you will still find it very difficult to listen well. Listening intently is hard work. Often simple changes like taking a few minutes before a meeting to get centered, purchasing a phone headset, or turning off your computer monitor while you are coaching can make a big difference.
Attached is a tool designed to help you identify distractions in your environment that keep you from listening well. When taking the assessment, score yourself based on your last coaching session (if you aren’t a coach, think of the last one-on-one appointment you had.) Circle the statements that apply to you.
[After the Tool Testing] Now, add up your total points. If your score is negative, change your environment. If you are a professional coach or counselor, the bar should be higher: if your score is less than +7, make some changes!
