1st Edition
Head, Heart, and Hands Listening in Coach Practice The Listening Coach
This book is an exploration of intentional listening as an essential skill for coaches. It introduces the Head, Heart, and Hands Listening model as a vital tool to amplify effective listening in coaching practice.
Accessible and applicable, the book explores the three listening modalities of Head, Heart, and Hands as active, though largely unconscious, lenses that inform the potency of our listening. Dakin-Neal argues that once coaches identify "how" they listen, they can assist their clients in more targeted ways to positively impact their personal and professional lives. Chapters are divided into the three listening modalities, Head, Heart, and Hands, and are filled with case studies, stories, reflective questions, and exercises from the author’s experience to help coaches strengthen their listening skills. The book also includes a comprehensive listening assessment for coaches to use in practice.
This book is essential reading for coaches in practice and in training as well as organizational psychologists, HR professionals, and those working within corporations.
The Listening Coach Glossary Part 1: Learning to Pay a New Kind of Attention 1. Dave’s Story: The limits of traditional leadership listening 2. Obstacles to Listening: What gets in the way Part 2: Listening Styles: Head Listening – Just the Facts Ma'am 3. Todd’s Story: The Game is Key 4. Gretchen’s Story: It’s Not Just the Content 5 Gabe’s Story: No Joy on the Dean’s List 6. Theresa’s Story: Do You Hear What I Hear? 7. A Standardized Patient Story: The Limits of Data Saturation Part 3: Listening Styles: Heart Listening – Hearing the Person Behind the Words 8. A Playback Story: Listening on Steroids 9. Abbie’s Story: The Best Defense Against Anger and Ignorance 10. Richard’s Story: Empathy Turns the Tables 11. Building Trust When the Stakes are High 12. Brandi’s Story: Listening to Survive – and Decide 13. Confirmation Bias and Heart Listening: A Recycle Story 14. Maya’s Story: Challenging Limiting Self Perceptions Part 4: The Listening Styles: Hands Listening 15. Hands Listening: The Problem Detective 16. Trevor’s Story: Getting a Read on the Dream 17. Creativity: Data + Passion = Innovation 18. Ian’s Story: Creativity in the Everyday 19. Ruthie’s Story: Listening to the Internal Voice 20. Craig’s Story: Make Shift Coffee House 21. Tanya’s Story: Going to the Dogs 22. Hands Listening Heads Up: The Con Artist Part 5: Listening Inside and Out 23. Discover Your Listening Modalities: The Assessment 24. Conclusion: Listening in a Larger Sphere References Acknowledgments Index About the Author
Biography
Kymberly Dakin-Neal, MEd, is a mindset coach, playback practitioner, and founder of Voice into Learning, LLC. Her specialty is team experience design with individual coaching programs and applied mediums like improvisation, intentional listening, and focused creativity.
"Listening is what the world needs more of. Deep listening transforms and enriches all our relationships and work. It is also at the core of effective coaching. Coaches and clients alike can learn to deepen their listening and overall communication skills with Dakin-Neal’s holistic Head, Heart, and Hands approach. I appreciate how the author weaves both her professional and personal experiences and insights into the book. It has an accessible feel and it’s easy to 'listen' to the author. This book offers great support and guidance for being the best listener you can be!" Lynda Monk, Writing for Wellness coach; author and director of the International Association for Journal Writing
"I've been coaching for over twenty years and was blown away by this much needed book. As coaches and therapists, we study and practice listening, but never have I encountered a resource that focuses solely and so effectively on how to do so with fresh ears and a truly unbiased perspective. This book is a must-read whether you are just starting out in the field and want to avoid the pitfalls so many of us encounter, or you've been at it for thirty years and need to heighten and deepen your awareness to ensure you haven't inadvertently started 'phoning it in.'" - Rahti Gorfien, PCC, ACCG, CSS, Creative Calling Coaching, LLC
