.....Are You a Good Listener?, by Florence Stone

1)	Are you generally interested in other people and what they have to say?

	Yes
	No

2)	Even when someone speaks in a monotone, can you find ways to get interested and remain interested in the conversation?

	Yes
	No

3)	If a subject seems complex, are you willing to try to listen anyway rather than ignore what is being said?

	Yes
	No

4)	Can you understand and truly listen to opinions that are different from your own?

	Yes
	No

5)	If someone criticizes some aspect of performance -- yours or your department's -- can you listen quietly and let the person complete his or her comments before you answer?

	Yes
	No

6)	Can you overcome your personal feelings toward another to listen to what he or she is saying and be open to new ideas?

	Yes
	No

7)	Do you know how to stimulate conversation by showing you are listening (e.g., attentive facial expressions, nodding your head, responsive posturing)?

	Yes
	No

8)	Do you make an effort to remember what you heard?

	Yes
	No

9)	Are you as aware of body language that reflects feelings that aren't being expressed as you are to the comments being made?

	Yes
	No

10)	Do you make a sincere attempt to understand what a speaker has to say before you make a judgment about its worth and give an opinion or comment of your own?

	Yes
	No

There is lots of talk today about knowledge management, increasing corporate competitive advantage by duplication of best practices from within and outside your organization. Numerous systems are being installed to maximize intellectual capital. In our rush to install sophisticated systems, we neglect the simplest way to learn from others about how to do our jobs better -- the art of listening.

Are you a good listener -- to customers, competitors, colleagues, and most important employees (think "lost ideas")? Take this test to rate your listening skills. Answer "yes" or "no" to each question.

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ASSESSMENT: