4 Levels of Listening
What if the way you listen can determine your future?
One of my favourite frameworks related to how we interact with others is Otto Scharmer’s 4 Levels of Listening.
Let me briefly summarise.
Level 1 listening is Habitual - we listen to confirm or disconfirm what we already know or half-listen, thinking of our reply. There is no learning, empathy nor openness to anything new. We are ‘downloading’ what we already know and leave the conversation unchanged. How often do you find yourself here?
Level 2 listening is Factual - we open our minds to another point of view and seek to understand it the best we can. We become curious and learn new things from the conversation. Both parties leave richer with new insights and ideas they shared. What could you learn in your next conversation if you listened in this way?
Level 3 listening is Empathic - I describe it as the kind of listening you experience when one of your closest friends knocks at your door at 10pm, you open, and see tears streaming down their face. You stop everything and ask, ‘what happened’? What follows after is not just curiosity, it’s also feeling their emotional state and providing support. At this level, we not only open our minds but also our hearts. We don’t only hear the other person, we feel them. When was the last time you listened like this?
Level 4 listening is Generative - this is where we open not only our minds and hearts, but also our entire being to something entirely new. Those are the rare conversations when we witness new possibilities being born. We become inspired, open our ‘will’ and commit to bring this new possibility into existence. Do you recall the last time such conversation happened in your life?
It’s a simple framework but it can have profound implications on what is (or is not) possible in our interactions with others and with ourselves. The conclusion is not that every conversation should be happening at Level 4 - there are many situations where one of the previous levels is absolutely fine and appropriate.
The message is however, that new futures become possible when we listen from the deeper levels to other people, to the world and to ourselves.
What would be possible if you listened from Level 3 or Level 4 in your most important conversations?
What if you considered these deeper levels when making key decisions about your future?
