There are eight levels of listening originally outlined by Andrew Wolvin, seven types according to BetterUp, six levels by Zenger and Folkman in HBR, five levels from Stephen Covey, four levels to Otto Scharmer, three levels says Co-Active Coaching and the ICF, active or passive listening from every communication textbook, and a partridge in a pear tree.
The foundation to these theoretical levels is your self-awareness and ability to correctly identify the mode of listening you are in at every moment of a conversation. To improve your cognitive control, the bulk of this session will immerse you in experiential learning where you will participate in six different listening modes and identify which mode you habitually use. Not only will this help the creative wording of your deep questioning, it will help your clients identify the listening mode they are unconsciously demonstrating and add the levels to their toolbelt.
Margot Halstead is a communication strategist and creator of the Owning Your IT framework, which helps coaches recognize and interrupt the internal habits that disrupt presence, neutrality, and deep listening. With more than a decade of experience training senior leaders and coaching professionals across industries, she specializes in tools that support ICF Core Competencies through expanded self-awareness and emotional clarity.
Her workshops—including We All Have ITs, I’ve Got to Stop Judging, and Emotional Agency—give coaches practical methods to manage internal reactions so they can show up fully for clients. Margot is known for her engaging teaching style, actionable tools, and ability to create immediate “aha” moments that shift how coaches think, listen, and lead
CCE: 0.75 Core Competency, 0.50 Resource Development