Radical Listening with Christian van Nieuwerburgh

Episode Notes:

-Education is what Christian’s journey revolves around. “I am most passionate about education. I want to imagine a time when everyone has access to excellent education.”

That is what motivates him. He has reflected on how access to excellent education has impacted him, given him more opportunities, and his journey. 

-Discovering coaching was a transformational moment for me. Coaching is the most respectful way to support people’s learning and professional development. And it's the most empowering way of doing that. Once I learned about coaching, there was no going back. My question became how can we use coaching most effectively in an educational setting. Then I learned the art of positive psychology which is the science of living or performance. 

-As coaches we are supporting people to be at their best. By linking coaching, which is the methodology of helping others meet desired change, and positive psychology, which is the science of being at our best, we bring out the best in others.

Education gives us the tools to pursue our goals. It also helps us overcome barriers. Everyone needs a good education. 

-There is something with each of us deciding what is the best contribution we can make. Some are amazing teachers… some are amazing leaders… Some are amazing support staff. Coaching matched my need to do well and my general approach to life. I love to see people succeed.

-Our jobs as coaches relate to other peoples’ successes.

-Radical Listening: THe Art of True Connection Book- Our job as coaches is helping others to be at their best. 

-We hope the listeners are ensuring they are at their best.

-Radical Listening: Take what coaches already know and share it with a much larger audience. It expands to so many more professional roles that could be enhanced by better listening. 

-One of my biggest strengths is that I am a learner and co-authoring with someone else can be such a remarkable learning experience. 

-Connection to the C3 Podcast: Connecting Coaches’ Cognition, and the subtitle of the book is ‘The Art of True Connection.’  Listening is not reactive and it is actually proactive. We can use the skill of listening to connect with other people.  

-Radical Listening- We see listening as a two way interaction.

-Work with each other in partnership to pull someone forward.

-In the moments that are the hardest to relate, reach out, and be able to engage can be the most powerful.

-Radical Listening Book is very practical. We are all good listeners already. We listen in empowering and powerful ways to others. Start with an intention. Imagine you are about to go into a scenario, take a moment to think, what is my intention in this conversation?

-3 Social Intentions: Connect, Appreciate, & Influences

-3 Cognitive Intentions: Understand, Solve, & Listening in Order to Learn

-Depending on our intention we listen in different ways. 

-Solving is a trap- when they really want to be listened to, not find a solution.

-Notice barriers of our listening: What can get in the way of our listening to others?  -Time? - Time Poverty -I know what is best in this situation? -Internal barriers or internal dialogue

-Quieting and Quietening - one of the skills to be a radical listener is to create an environment for the listening to happen, the other is to create an environment that is not full of distractions. Difficult in education but minimizing what we can and shielding the conversation. Trying to show the conversation is important for us.

-Skill that is challenging is interjecting. We think - don't just go quiet or not speak. Jump in and engage.  It helps to build this sense of rapport. Some programs say to not do this, but if I don't respond to those big emotions it breaks the sense of being with the other person. It is all the nonverbals. It is a building of rap