Listening Effectiveness Inventory

	Almost Always	Often	Sometimes	Seldom	Almost Never
1. When others are talking, I genuinely want to listen to what they have to say.
2. While someone is talking to me, my mind wanders to other topics.
3. I encourage the speaker to talk by showing interest, smiling, nodding, etc.
4. I consciously try to pay attention when others are talking.
5. I pay close attention to the speaker’s nonverbal communication as he talks.
6. I avoid distractions; if it’s noisy, I suggest moving to a quieter spot.
7. When people come to me and interrupt me when I’m doing something, I try to keep what I was just doing in my mind while talking to them.
8. I deliberately try to learn something from each person I meet, even if it is ever so slight.
9. When the subject is too difficult for me to understand, I tune out and merely pretend to follow.
10. I ask questions when I don’t fully understand the speaker’s message.
11. I try to put myself in the speaker’s position and see things from his perspective.
12. I tune out people who say something I don’t agree with or don’t want to hear.
13. During conversations, I repeat back to the other person what has been said in my own words to be sure I have correctly understood it.
14. I give the appearance of listening when I’m not.
15. When listening to others, I deliberately keep control of my biases and attitudes so they won’t affect my interpretation of the message.
16. I carefully consider my listening errors so as not to make them again.
17. I interrupt the speaker while he is still talking.
18. I allow the speaker to share negative feelings toward me without becoming defensive.
19. I listen to the complete message before making judgments about what the speaker said.
20. I take notes when necessary to help me remember.
21. I consciously consider whether or not a speaker’s meanings of words and concepts are the same as mine.
22. I restate instructions and messages to be sure I understand correctly.