Evaluate Your Own
Listening Skills
1. In a professional context (e.g., meeting, presentation), how often does your mind
wander?
 often
 sometimes
 rarely
2. In general conversation, do you usually …
 do most of the talking
 do most of the listening
 do as much talking as listening
3. A professional acquaintance has just told you a funny story. You …
 ask for more details
 say, “That’s nothing. You should hear what happened to me!”
 say, “That was hilarious!”
4. In conversation do you …
 ask more questions than you answer
 answer more questions than you are asked
 balance questions and answers equally
5. When you are arguing a point, do you interrupt people …
 often
 sometimes
 rarely
6. When someone is telling you something and you suddenly realize the point he/she is
making, do you …
 let him/her continue to talk
 jump in and finish his/her thought to show you are following
 start formulating your own response to the comment
7. When speaking with a friend, do you use the word “you” …
 more often than “I”
 less often than “I”
 about the same as “I”
8. In a brief social conversation, do you use the name of the other person …
 never
 once or twice
 several times
9. During a conversation when you are the listener, do you make eye contact …
 80-100% of the time
 50-80% of the time
 less than half the time
10. A proper communicating distance with someone you know professionally is …
 one arm’s length
 two arms’ lengths
 three arms’ lengths
11. In general conversation with friends, do you find yourself changing the subject …
 often
 sometimes
 rarely
12. Around new people do you tend to be …
 quiet and reserved, giving little information about yourself
 friendly, but careful about what you say
 an open book, ready to share anything and everything
10-12
8-10
6-8
Under 6
SCORING
Top-notch listening skills
Average listening skills
Listening skills need some polish
Yikes! Call 911!