CLC Communication & Active Listening Skills 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which communication barrier most commonly causes a coach to miss important client information?
- Asking too many open-ended questions
- Formulating the next question while the client is still speaking (Correct answer)
- Using silence between turns
- Summarizing at the end of each session
Correct answer: Formulating the next question while the client is still speaking
Mentally preparing the next question while the client speaks is a classic internal barrier that reduces genuine listening.
Question 2: What does 'calibrating' mean in the context of coaching communication?
- Measuring session length precisely
- Noticing subtle changes in a client's physiology or voice to gauge their state (Correct answer)
- Adjusting fees based on session outcomes
- Setting communication ground rules at the start of coaching
Correct answer: Noticing subtle changes in a client's physiology or voice to gauge their state
Calibrating means observing non-verbal and paraverbal shifts to sense changes in the client's emotional or mental state.
Question 3: A client consistently avoids eye contact and speaks in a monotone voice. A skilled leadership coach would FIRST:
- Diagnose the client with low confidence
- Curiously explore what the client is experiencing right now (Correct answer)
- Advise the client to attend a public speaking course
- Mirror the monotone to build rapport
Correct answer: Curiously explore what the client is experiencing right now
Curiosity-driven exploration respects the client's autonomy and surfaces the real meaning behind non-verbal signals.
Question 4: When delivering feedback to a coaching client, the MOST effective sequence is:
- Criticism → praise → next steps
- Observation → impact → request (Correct answer)
- Advice → reflection → silence
- Summary → reframe → close
Correct answer: Observation → impact → request
The Observation–Impact–Request model keeps feedback specific, non-judgmental, and action-oriented.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of 'bottom-up' listening?
- Starting with assumptions about what the client needs
- Letting the client's words and cues shape the coach's understanding (Correct answer)
- Applying a fixed coaching model to every session
- Asking structured questions from a predetermined list
Correct answer: Letting the client's words and cues shape the coach's understanding
Bottom-up listening means constructing meaning from what the client actually says rather than filtering it through prior expectations.
Question 6: A coaching client sends an angry email between sessions. What communication principle should guide the coach's response?
- Respond with equal emotional intensity to match their energy
- Acknowledge the emotion first before addressing the content (Correct answer)
- Defer all discussion until the next scheduled session
- Forward the email to a supervisor for handling
Correct answer: Acknowledge the emotion first before addressing the content
Acknowledging emotion before content validates the client's experience and de-escalates the situation.
Question 7: The phrase 'What I hear you saying is…' is a coaching tool that primarily serves to:
- Correct factual errors in the client's story
- Confirm the coach's understanding and invite client clarification (Correct answer)
- Redirect the conversation toward goals
- Demonstrate the coach's expertise
Correct answer: Confirm the coach's understanding and invite client clarification
This reflective stem checks the coach's interpretation and signals that the client's meaning matters above all.
CLC Communication & Active Listening Skills 3
Which communication barrier most commonly causes a coach to miss important client information?