How can you overcome biases in active listening for Leadership Development Coaching?

Active listening is now one of my superpowers and is a valuable skill that can be used to detect confirmation bias. Through listening, I can identify confirmation bias. Ways to overcome confirmation biases include using active listening to challenge assumptions, asking thought-provoking questions, and providing alternative perspectives. This is an effective approach, especially when you have established a trusted relationship with the leadership coaching client. This also provides the “ah-ha’s” that facilitate growth and provide clarity in decision-making.

Utilizing active listening to detect projection bias is a valuable skill that allows the coach to draw attention to the leader's self-awareness. This presents an excellent opportunity to delve into the leader’s emotional intelligence, challenging biases and revealing projections often disguised as norms. It also provides a chance to reflect on the specific events that led to the projection bias. Asking reflective questions in a way that prompts the leader to self-assess, such as 'Am I projecting my thoughts and ideas on others?' or 'Am I open to hearing other perspectives?' enhances their awareness. This process emphasizes the importance of practicing active listening to foster a deeper understanding.

Active listening is a powerful tool in exposing the framing effect. While listening intently, I can discern the leader’s thought process. This presents a great opportunity to act as a mirror, reflecting back to them and exploring the experiences that shaped their thought process and framing. It encourages an open-minded position and challenges any framing biases. Asking clarifying and reflective questions provides another means for the leader to self-assess, evaluate, and explore, promoting a deeper understanding of themselves. Being mindful of how they frame thoughts can enhance their self-awareness and how they respond in various situations. It also provides an opportunity for us to explore ways to reframe.

An executive coach cannot take their clients any deeper than they have gone themselves. It is the life experiences that enables them to always come from a place of love and non- judgement. This is where active listening in conversations becomes a place to come from and not a goal. Through such conversations powerful questions emerge that help leaders see their power to create and build awesomeness.

As humans, we often tend to go into a conversation with our own assumptions. As a coach, it is very important to be aware of your assumptions and biases before every session and remind yourself to stay open minded. If you feel like you're leaning into a certain direction with the client, it's absolutely OK to be transparent about it and ask the client to explore the situation/belief with you. That way, you're being present and refocusing on the client.