Army Family Team Building Level II

Communication

Do You Hear Me? Are You Really Listening?

Each of the following items represents an aspect of effective listening. Think about
when you interact with others, maybe the people you listed on Handout 1 and rate
yourself according to the following scale. Put your response on the line in front of each
item.

1 = Never 2 = Rarely 3 = Sometimes 4 = Most of the time 5 = All of the time

When someone is speaking, I…

______ 1. Face the person throughout the conversation.

______ 2. Pay attention, even though the subject may bore me.

______ 3. Do not plan what I’m going to say while the person is speaking.

______ 4. Give brief verbal responses such as “I see”, “M-m-m”, “Oh”.

______ 5. Stop myself from interrupting while the other person is speaking.

______ 6. Demonstrate nonverbal responses such as nodding, smiling, and leaning

forward.

______ 7. Listen for main ideas and concepts.

______ 8. Wait for the speaker to finish before evaluating the message.

______ 9. Keep an open mind and do not respond negatively to the others’ ideas or
feelings.

______ 10. Maintain appropriate body language and facial expressions, no matter what
is said.

______ 11. Ask questions to clarify something that was said.

______ 12. Refrain from finishing the other person’s sentences.

______ 13. Maintain eye contact and observe body language.

______ 14. Do not use the person’s pauses as my signal to begin speaking.

______ 15. Listen for feelings as well as subject matter.

Total: ____________

2006/7 2.1 Handout 6-1

Army Family Team Building Level II

Listening Skills: Scoring and Interpretation

Instructions: Total your score and write it on the line marked “Total: ______” on
Handout 6-1.

ƒ If your score is 60 to 75, you use excellent listening skills. When you concentrate
on listening, you do it well most of the time. Your family, friends, and coworkers
probably believe that you are a good listener.

ƒ If your score is 45 to 59, you can learn to listen more skillfully. To begin
improving your skills choose one aspect of effective listening to concentrate on
today.

ƒ If your score is below 45, the other person surely did not believe you were
listening. Looking back at the fifteen items, can you choose two that were most
difficult for you? Focus on improving your skills in those areas.

2006/7 2.1 Handout 6-2