How can functional training leaders improve their listening skills?

1 Avoid distractions

One of the first steps to improve your listening skills is to avoid distractions that can interfere with your attention and focus. Distractions can be external, such as noise, phone, or other people, or internal, such as your own thoughts, emotions, or biases. To avoid distractions, you can try to create a quiet and comfortable space for your sessions, turn off or silence your phone and other devices, and ask your clients to do the same. You can also practice mindfulness and self-awareness to notice and manage your own distractions and stay present in the moment.

2 Use open-ended questions

Another way to improve your listening skills is to use open-ended questions that invite your clients to share more information, opinions, or feelings. Open-ended questions are those that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no, such as "What are your goals for this session?" or "How do you feel after this exercise?" Open-ended questions can help you gather more insights, clarify expectations, and show interest and curiosity. They can also encourage your clients to open up and express themselves more freely and honestly.

3 Reflect and summarize

A third tip to improve your listening skills is to reflect and summarize what your clients say and how they say it. Reflecting means repeating or rephrasing what your clients say in your own words, while summarizing means highlighting the main points or themes of what they say. Reflecting and summarizing can help you check your understanding, avoid misunderstandings, and confirm that you are on the same page. They can also help you show empathy, respect, and validation for your clients' perspectives and experiences.

4 Give feedback and suggestions

A fourth way to improve your listening skills is to give feedback and suggestions to your clients in a constructive and supportive way. Feedback and suggestions are important to help your clients improve their performance, achieve their goals, and overcome their challenges. However, feedback and suggestions should be given with care and sensitivity, as they can also trigger defensiveness, resistance, or frustration. To give feedback and suggestions effectively, you should use positive and specific language, focus on behaviors and outcomes, and balance praise and criticism. You should also ask for permission, invite questions, and offer choices.

5 Listen actively

A final tip to improve your listening skills is to listen actively, which means to engage fully and attentively with your clients' verbal and non-verbal communication. Listening actively involves using body language, eye contact, facial expressions, and gestures to show interest, attention, and understanding. It also involves using verbal cues, such as nodding, humming, or saying "uh-huh", "I see", or "go on", to encourage your clients to continue speaking. Listening actively can help you create a positive and collaborative atmosphere, build rapport and trust, and enhance your clients' satisfaction and motivation.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?