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HOW WELL DO YOU LISTEN?

Most people believe that they are good listeners. Research shows, however, that most people listen at about 25% of their full potential. Some of the common symptoms of poor listening are interrupting, jumping to conclusions, being easily distracted, daydreaming or giving in to boredom. The average conversational attention span is 3-4 sentences before one of these symptoms crops up. Discovering your weak areas is the first step toward successful listening. Be honest in answering the following diagnostic questions about yourself:

Y= Yes N= No S= sometimes

Y	N	S
			I truly enjoy what other people have to say.
			I never have difficulty waiting until others finish talking.
			I listen even though I may not like the person I am talking to.
			The age and gender of the person makes no difference in how well I listen.
			I encourage others to talk using my non-verbal language (facial expressions, body language, gesture, posture, etc.)
			I am not afraid to ask for clarification of ideas or words introduced by the speaker.
			I assume every person has something of value to say, and am willing to listen to friends, acquaintances, and strangers alike.
			I always look directly in the area of the speaker's eyes, giving him or her full attention, no matter what else is on my mind.
			I stop what I'm doing when someone else is addressing me.
			I never do "tension release" exercises while the other person is talking (neck rotations etc.)
			I am sensitive to the speaker's voice inflection, expression,and gestures.
			I never interrupt when a person is talking.
			I listen beyond the words to the emotions and meanings expressed, and test with questions to see if I understand correctly.
			I postpone all judgements about what a person has to say until he or she is finished.
			I make organized, mental outlines of the main ideas being expressed, and test with questions to see if I understand correctly.
			I respect each individual's right to his or her own opinion, even if I disagree.
			I know that only by listening can I learn the other person's wants and needs.
			I listen mainly for points of agreement rather than differences.
			I recognize that listening is a learned skill, and can be improved only by my conscious efforts to do so.

SCORING: Count your number of "No" answers and see key below.
1 - 5	"No's" = Excellent listener. Keep it up!
6 - 10	"No's" = Good listener, willingness to change will make you an excellent listener.
11 - 15	"No's" = Needs improvement. Contact Lorna.
16 - 20	"No's" = Help! Contact Lorna immediately!

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