The quality of your listening will establish the quality of their thinking.
Now there is a comment worth considering.
I picked up this thought from Jackie Arnold’s book on Coaching. The importance of effective listening was raised in a conversation with Dr Paul Browning last March when discussing the development of trust within an organisation. In light of my investment in Coaching, my professional curiosity in the processes involved in listening (of which there are more than you might think), continues to deepen.
Mixed in this Coaching communication / listening piece is the value of being non-judgemental and establishing a position of equals.
Recognition that, as I have said before, the shadow of leadership is very long, possibly limiting the Coaching relationship. Be aware of your own influence as a Coach. Even an external Coach.
Your responsibility to probe and uncover, rather than fix and solve. To enable the Coachee to surface their thinking, unravel their thoughts and untie their knotty problems. Note that this may not happen at the point of the conversation.
The benefit of being present rather than having presence (counter to the outline given to most leader characterisations I have encountered.) That includes considering the setting and minimising distractions.
It is being mindful of yourself, and of yourself in the conversation.
That we listen well beyond the words, the pauses and the non-verbal communication. To listen for the values less so to the words.
Having an awareness that conversations move between spaces, both location and time. Building a network of relationships between the spaces.
The power of iterations, returning to the original concept or focus, to perceive if it has evolved or stagnated.