Listening is at the heart of the coaching relationship
Like skills in other fields, will AI come for this one, too? A typical coaching session involves 80% listening to clients and only 20% speaking. Communication, especially our ability to listen, is one of the most valuable skills we offer as professionals.
I suspect many of us have been thinking about how AI will impact our field. Researchers are investigating this by comparing credentialed human coaches against chatbots in
randomized control trials.
They found that human coaching led to significant improvements in goal attainment, self-efficacy, and well-being, whereas AI coaching showed limited impact, even when following the same structure, with no consistent gains relative to the control group.
What is it about human coaches that made the difference? The
relationship. A key ingredient in any successful relationship, whether it’s personal or professional, is listening.
So how might human coaches outperform AI coaches in listening?
We can listen to what’s being communicated at multiple levels. We have awareness of what’s being said or not said, the underlying emotions, vocal tone, and body language. We can listen to our own reactions and inner monologue. There are sensations and feelings, including our heart connection, that also provide us with valuable information.
This is a holistic, intuitive way of listening that is uniquely human and will prove very difficult to replicate.
As we learned in our recent program on presence, this state of awareness can enhance our ability to listen powerfully. From here, we find the greatest creativity, potential, and possibility. We have a felt experience of timelessness and connectedness, and we see the larger truth as it unfolds.
Active and empathic listening in the present moment is a deeply human experience and does not happen often. It is a profound thing that we can offer this level of listening to our clients in the service of their growth and development.
Join us at our next
chapter meeting on April 14th to practice our communication and listening skills. I encourage you to take every opportunity to improve your listening, so you can benefit your clients and enhance any other relationships in your life.
Chris King
2026 President, ICF Iowa Chapter