Learning to listen again

As many of you know, I recently started a new journey as a systemic coach, which I hope will enrich my work in leadership and in education.

One of the first topics we revisited in training was listening. It is a familiar term and a longstanding practice in my professional life, yet it continues to warrant attention and reflection.

Through my experience as a conflict mediator, I have learned to listen with care and depth and to hold space and be patient and allow silence. In the context of coaching, listening takes on a particular role. It offers a setting in which the other person can hear themselves more clearly. In this sense, listening is central to the work.

Returning to this topic has reminded me that some skills remain in development throughout our lives. They require regular revisiting, practice, and refinement.

I am therefore engaging with listening again, and noticing new aspects in something I had considered familiar.