There Are Four Levels of Listening—Which One Are You On?
Each of us has a powerful yet unassuming gift: the capacity to listen. Research proves that active listening engenders empathy, soothes stress, and builds self-esteem. However, we’re flooded with information 24/7, making it too easy to tune out other people.
To build some listening muscle, determine which listening level typifies you right now (don’t judge yourself too harshly if your answer is level one—it’s where most of us are), then use the advice to grow to the next level. Before long, you'll be able to try generative listening for yourself.
Level One: Internal Listening
At this stage, you’re mainly listening to your inner voice and thinking about what you will say. You don't engage as much as you should with the other person or people in the conversation—you're simply strategizing about how you'll respond. Try your best to move on to the other levels from here.
Level Two: Focused Listening
Here, you’re paying attention to the other person’s needs, aspirations, or concerns, which they express with their words and body language. Try to reflect what you have understood so far through paraphrasing and clarifying, demonstrating that you're actively listening. Make it known that you care about the person’s words. Ask yourself, What do they seem to be feeling?
Level Three: Global Listening
This level is about paying attention to the conversation’s larger context, both between you and the other person and through a much wider lens. You should listen with your body and intuition, not just your ears and eyes. At this level, think, What else can I understand about this situation when I listen more fully?
Level Four: Generative Listening
When you attempt generative listening, you widen your attention, allowing fresh ideas and solutions to emerge between you and your partner. At this level, you should sit patiently in the uncertainty of conversation, unthreatened by differences of opinion that may occur. You can wonder, What opportunities are being created in this conversation?
This article originally appeared in the July 2020 issue of Prevention. For more information on the July Wellness Moonshot theme, visit the Global Wellness Institute.
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