The Listening Impact Assessment
Great leaders listen with integrity. Take the Listening Impact Assessment below to discover your listening effectiveness.
Please answer “Yes” or “No” to the following questions:
1. Do you talk more than you listen? Yes No
2. Do slow speakers cause your mind to wander? Yes No
3. Does nervousness or fear sometimes prevent you from concentrating on a speaker’s message? Yes No
4. When you are puzzled, annoyed or confused, are you hesitant about asking questions? Yes No
5. Do you judge or criticize while someone is speaking? Yes No
6. Do you frequently find yourself thinking ahead about something you want to say, even though the other person is still talking? Yes No
7. When a problem comes up, do you often react without gathering all the facts, perhaps, by interrupting? Yes No
8. Do distractions, such as external noises or internal thoughts, prevent you from listening carefully? Yes No
9. Do you ever pretend you are really listening, when you are really not? Yes No
10. Are you very quick to give advice, or offer a strong opinion? Yes No
11. Do you believe that it is the speaker’s responsibility to communicate effectively, as opposed to the listener’s responsibility? Yes No
12. Do you often think that you have heard someone’s name, or an important fact, only to discover that you have forgotten it? Yes No
13. Do you think listening involves only the ears and hearing? Yes No
14. Do you think only about yourself, and ignore the other person’s feelings, when you talk? Yes No
15. Do you think you were born with the ability to listen? Yes No
SCORING:
If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions your listening skills could be improved. If you answered “Yes” to more than five, you need to increase your ability to listen.
To improve your listening skills, select a question from the quiz you would like to work on changing a YES to a NO. Listening is a skill and takes practice. The quiz is designed as a self-awareness tool to improve. Once one is conquered, you can work on another. The most common areas for improvement are #1, #6, #9, #11 and #12.