Are You Listening?

2-Part Listening Effectiveness Activity

Part 1:

Think about the worst listener you know and the best listener you know, then circle a number for each
of them on the scale below. What do each of them do that makes them the best or the worst at
listening? In each box, list what they do—the observable behaviors—that make them the best or worst
listener you know.
Worst Listener You Know
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Best Listener You Know

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Behaviors of worst listener: Behaviors of best listener:

Ask yourself the following questions:

• What influence does your Best Listener manager/co-worker have over the quantity or quality
of your work?
• How do you feel having conversations with the person you are thinking of as Best Listener?
• How does this person’s ability to listen to you and others affect the work group and
environment as a whole?
• How does the behavior of the Worst Listener affect the quality and quantity of work that you
do? How does their behavior affect the work group and environment as a whole?

Reflect on how one person’s ability to be an effective listener goes beyond individual conversations.
Attention and good listening set a tone for interactions that follow. Effective listeners positively
influence many!
Part 2:
On the scale below, circle the number that represents where you are on the scale—at the appropriate
position for your own listening skills. List a few of your own listening habits in the bottom box. When
you’re done, pick a few tips from the list of Tips for Becoming a Best Listener and start applying those
behaviors today.

Where are you?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Your Behaviors:

Tips for Becoming a Best Listener!

1. Effective listening holds potential for effective problem-solving, builds trust, and opens the way
for meaningful, ongoing communication and results. When someone is talking to us, what
options do we have?
• We can choose to focus our attention.
• We can choose to reduce distraction.
• We can choose to stop for a few minutes to sit down and listen.

Don’t forget—when you’ve got a lot going on and don’t really think giving your full focus is
possible-- it’s usually acceptable to say “I really want to give you my full attention but now is
not a good time. Can we set up a time to talk later?”

2. As a listener, focus on the speaker—what are they really trying to say? What are they feeling?
What is their need, and how can you help? (Pay attention to both verbal and nonverbal
communication.)
3. Demonstrate a deep level of focus and concentration by maintaining eye contact and
comfortable body language. This lets the speaker know they have your undivided attention.
4. Let the speaker DO most of the speaking and avoid interrupting them. Stop your “rebuttal brain”
from formulating responses while you are listening.
5. Prompt the speaker with encouragement and phrases such as, “Tell me more about that…” or
“You must have felt…”
6. Clarify what the speaker is saying by asking questions to understand. Say something like, “Let
me make sure I understand…”

Activity excerpted from the Leader’s Guide for the video training program, Nobody’s Listening.