Take the following self-evaluation to discover your own listening habits:

Choose yes YES if the statement is true for you most of the time. Choose NO if the statement is not true for you most of the time.

I allow the other person to finish what s/he is saying before I speak. Yes No

I pay attention even when I do not like the speaker.      Yes No                  

I easily ignore distractions when I am listening.        Yes No                

I can easily remember what other people say to me.       Yes No               

I ask the speaker questions when I do not understand something. Yes No

I look at people when they are talking to me.   Yes No            

I do not do other things when I am listening.     Yes No                            

I keep listening even when the message is too complicated.  Yes No

I ignore behavior/ appearances that bother me and listen to what the speaker is saying. Yes No

Your YES answers indicate that you already have some active listening skills. In other words, you are actively involved in the communication process. You take responsibility for understanding the speaker’s message.

Your NO answers show that you could use improvement in some areas of active listening. Will you become an active listener overnight? Definitely not, but with practice you can improve your listening skills. 

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This program was developed by the West Virginia State Department of Education, the West Virginia Workplace Education Program, and the Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) V.