Coaching is as much about listening as it is about questioning. In his TED Talk “5 ways to listen better”, Julian Treasure outlines how listening can be a transformative skill – one that leaders who coach must master. Active listening in coaching builds trust, sharpens leadership listening skills, and boosts team outcomes. Here’s how his five practices for better listening can strengthen your coaching, foster connection, and elevate communication.
Silence: Creating space to hear
Treasure suggests spending three minutes a day in silence to reset your ears and sharpen your listening focus. In coaching, silence isn’t just the absence of noise – it’s the space for others to think out loud and express themselves.
- Start coaching sessions with a moment of silence. This helps both you and your coachee organise your thoughts.
- Resist the urge to fill pauses. Silence often encourages deeper thinking and more thoughtful responses.
In fast-paced organisational cultures, silence can feel uncomfortable. Leaders can model its value as a tool for clarity and alignment.
The mixer: Tuning into layers of sound
Treasure’s mixer exercise involves consciously identifying distinct sounds in your environment. For coaching, this means paying closer attention to verbal and non-verbal cues.
- Pay attention to tone, pace and inflection. For instance, a quicker pace may indicate excitement or anxiety.
- Observe body language. Do crossed arms signal discomfort? Does a nod suggest agreement?
During a one-to-one, a leader noticed that while a team member said, “I’m fine,” their tone and slumped posture said otherwise. Simply reflecting this back led to a deeper discussion about workload – and made it clear they weren’t fine at all. But once it was out in the open, something could be done.
Savouring: Appreciating the mundane
Treasure encourages savouring ordinary sounds to develop deeper awareness. In coaching, this means paying attention to everyday conversations that reveal meaningful insights.
- Reframe routine check-ins as opportunities to uncover hidden challenges or aspirations.
- Use appreciative inquiry by asking, “What’s gone well this week?” to help coachees reflect on strengths and achievements.
A leader I worked with embraced the idea of savouring and began each team meeting by highlighting even the smallest win. This simple practice not only boosted morale but also surfaced successes that would otherwise have gone unnoticed.
Listening positions: Adapting your focus
Treasure introduces the concept of listening positions – shifting your perspective to focus on what matters most in a given moment. Active listening in coaching calls for this kind of flexibility.
- Empathetic listening: Use this to understand feelings. Ask, “How does this situation make you feel?”
- Critical listening: Use this to evaluate information. Probe with, “What evidence do you have to support that decision?”
Adapting your listening style ensures coachees feel heard, understood and supported. These coaching communication techniques make feedback sessions more productive and inclusive.
RASA: Receive, appreciate, summarise, ask
Treasure’s RASA framework offers a practical guide to active listening:
- Receive – Be fully present. Make eye contact and minimise distractions.
- Appreciate – Use small acknowledgements, like nodding or saying, “I see.”
- Summarise – Paraphrase to check understanding. E.g. “So you’re saying the deadline feels unmanageable because of competing priorities?”
- Ask – Follow up with open-ended questions to deepen the conversation.
A leader practising RASA supported a team member struggling with confidence by summarising their concerns and asking, “What support would help you feel more prepared?” That question unlocked next steps and strengthened trust.
The trust connection: Listening as a cultural value
Stephen Covey’s The Speed of Trust aligns with Treasure’s ideas – it highlights listening as a critical trust-building behaviour. When leaders genuinely listen, they signal respect and empathy, which strengthens relationships and improves collaboration.
- Encourage leaders to model active listening in coaching during meetings.
- Train teams in techniques like RASA to build better communication.
- Recognise and reward behaviours that reflect deep listening skills.
Raise your listening game
- Practise silence – Dedicate three minutes daily to silence to sharpen your focus.
- Tune in – In your next coaching session, observe both verbal and non-verbal cues.
- Savour the ordinary – Reflect on a recent conversation. What did it reveal beyond the obvious?
- Adjust your listening position – Try switching between empathetic and critical listening, depending on the context.
- Apply RASA – Use receive, appreciate, summarise and ask in your next one-to-one.
By weaving these practices into your coaching, you’ll build stronger relationships and lead with greater impact. Listening isn’t just a technique – it’s the foundation of people-centred leadership and a critical asset for building trust through listening.
Your next read: How good are your listening skills?
