ou can check your own listening skills by taking this four-minute self-assessment. As you take this, please think of a specific environment-at work, at home, or performing community work. Listening is context driven: we often listen well in one arena and poorly in others. By becoming aware of your listening patterns you can take steps to cultivate this life-long skill.

We have changed how we offer this free assessment. We now email you the results. By giving us your email address to receive your overall listening score and the 6 sub-categories, you are agreeing to receive periodic follow-up emails from us. Any emails we send you will contain unsubscribe information, and you may opt-out of future emails at any time.

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There are no "right" or "wrong" answers to these questions. They describe behaviors used in determining how people are perceived as listeners. The questions do not determine listening ability.

Please read each question carefully. Some questions are reversed for research validity. Then determine from the rating scale how frequently you typically use the behaviors described in the environment you are considering.

Choose one of the ten possible responses for each of the 28 listening practices.

  1. Almost Never
  2. Rarely
  3. Seldom
  4. Once in a While
  5. Occasionally
  1. Sometimes
  2. Fairly Often
  3. Usually
  4. Very Frequently
  5. Almost Always
 
   1. Seem hurried or impatient during conversations and meetings.  
 
   2. Respect others' ideas and words regardless of our business, social, or economic status.  
 
   3. Give full attention and am not preoccupied with other concerns.  
 
   4. Show appropriate nonverbal responses, such as nodding and facial expressions.  
 
   5. Talk more than listen.  
 
   6. Ask relevant questions for clarification of points that are technical or misunderstood.  
 
   7. Prepare or become informed when such preparation or knowledge is necessary.  
 
   8. Keep a confidence.  
 
   9. Take notes when notes are appropriate.  
 
   10. Change the topic before proper closure or agreement.  
 
   11. Accurately recall comments or positions at a later date.  
 
   12. Follow up with prompt actions.  
 
   13. Encourage others to give their views on subjects under discussion.  
 
   14. Appear to listen with an open mind free from personal biases.  
 
   15. Become defensive or emotional when encountering a difficult situation.  
 
   16. Sincerely listen without going-through-the-motions.  
 
   17. Smile or otherwise acknowledge humorous remarks.  
 
   18. Correctly anticipate where the conversation is going.  
 
   19. Accurately relate messages to a third party.  
 
   20. Maintain comfortable eye contact with speaker.  
 
   21. Allow others to finish without interrupting.  
 
   22. Hold outside calls and distractions to a minimum during meetings and conversations.  
 
   23. Repeat, paraphrase, or summarize comments to ensure understanding.  
 
   24. Think about the subject under discussion before responding.  
 
   25. Place myself in others' position and understand their concerns and feelings.  
 
   26. Avoid emotion-packed (trigger) words, phrases, or clichés.  
 
   27. Consider content and logic and am not critical of others' delivery, appearance, grammar, vocabulary, etc.  
 
   28. Produce results consistent with agreed upon instructions or guidelines.instructions or guidelines.