Communication & Active Listening Skills Flashcards

A coaching client frequently interrupts you mid-sentence. As a leadership coach, what is the BEST first response?

Answer: Pause and allow them to finish, then revisit your point

Pausing and allowing the client to finish models respectful listening and keeps the coaching relationship safe.

Which listening level involves paying attention to words, tone, and energy simultaneously?

Answer: Level 3 – Global listening

Global (Level 3) listening attends to the whole environment—words, tone, body language, and energy—beyond just the speaker's content.

When a client says 'I guess I'm okay with that,' what active listening technique helps surface the underlying emotion?

Answer: Reflecting the ambivalence back: 'It sounds like you have some reservations'

Reflecting ambivalence invites the client to explore deeper feelings rather than suppressing them.

What is the primary purpose of using silence strategically in a coaching conversation?

Answer: To create space for the client to process and go deeper

Strategic silence gives clients processing time and often prompts richer self-reflection than immediate follow-up questions.

A leadership coach notices their client is speaking quickly and using short, clipped sentences. What does this non-verbal cue most likely indicate?

Answer: The client may be experiencing stress or urgency

Rapid, clipped speech often signals elevated stress or urgency that the coach should acknowledge and explore.

Which of the following BEST describes 'empathic listening' in a coaching context?

Answer: Understanding the client's perspective without necessarily sharing it

Empathic listening means understanding the client's internal frame of reference without judgment or personal projection.

A coach restates a client's message in their own words to confirm understanding. This technique is called:

Answer: Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing restates the client's message in the coach's own words to verify comprehension and show active engagement.