Are You Listening?

Listening is a skill, it is an art. It is an important part of good communication. How good are you at listening? The quiz below enables you to quickly compare your own listening behaviors with behaviors normally thought to be associated with exceptionally good listening skills.

Listening Skills Quiz 
Indicate your response using the following scale:
4 = always 3 = most of the time 2 = some of the time 1 = rarely

1. I remind myself that listening is an opportunity to learn something.
2. I pay attention even when the subject doesn’t interest me.
3. I listen even if I disagree with the speaker.
4. I focus on the speaker’s ideas and not on their appearance or mannerisms.
5. I try to understand the speaker’s feelings as well their words.
6. I wait for the speaker to finish before forming an opinion.
7. I make sure I understand the speaker’s point of view before responding.
8. I show I am engaged by maintaining eye contact, nodding and leaning forward.
9. I am relaxed, calm and patient when listening.
10. I do not interrupt the speaker.
11. I take notes if I must remember the points being made.
12. I take time to reflect on the speaker’s main ideas.
13. I ask non-threatening questions to ensure I understand.
14. I often paraphrase what I hear to be sure I have heard correctly.
15. I do not allow distractions to divert my attention.

Listening Skills Quiz Scoring
50 – 60 Excellent! You have exceptional listening skills.40 – 49 Above Average, but you could improve your skills.30 – 39 Your score is promising, but you could greatly improve.15 – 29 You need to pay serious attention to improving your listening skills.
The next obvious step is improving your listening skills. More on it in my next blog post.