EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SELF-EVALUATION To help you start to be more aware of your listening habits, complete the following listening

self-evaluation. It will give you an idea of which listening habits you can pat yourself on the back and ones you might have to reshape. Answer each question thoughtfully

Communicating knowledge & attitude Put an x the appropriate box. Do you:

1. Tune out people who say something you dont agree with or dont want to hear? 2. Concentrate on what is being said even if you are not really interested? 3. Assume you know what the speaker is going to say and stop listening? 4. Repeat in your own words what the speaker has just said? 5. Learn something from each persons viewpoint, even if it differs from yours? 6. Learn something from each person you meet, even it is ever so slight? 7. Find out what words means when they are used in ways not familiar to you? 8. Form a rebuttal in your head while the speaker is talking? 9. Give the appearance that you are listening when you arent? 10. Day dream while the speaker is talking?

Most of the Time

Frequently

Occasi onally

Almost never

Communicating knowledge & attitude MOST OF Put an x in the appropriate box. THE Do you:
TIME 11. Listen for main ideas, not just facts? 12. Recognize that words dont mean exactly the same thing to different people?

FREQUE- OCCASIO- ALMOST NTLY NALLY NEVER

13. Listen to only what you want to hear, blotting out the speakers whole message?

14. Look at the person who is speaking? 15. Concentrate on the speakers meaning rather than on how he or she looks?

16. Know which words and phrases you respond to emotionally?

17. Think what you want to accomplish with Your communication?

18. Plan the best time to say what you want to say?

19. Think about how the other person might react to what you say?

20. Consider the best way to make your communication [letter, speech phone, notice board,etc]

Communicating knowledge & attitude MOST FREQUE- OCCASIO ALMOST OF NTLY NALLY NEVER Put an x in the appropriate box. THE Do you:
TIME

21. Think about what kind of a person you are talking to? [Worried, hostile, disinterested, rushed, shy, stubborn, impatient etc]?

22. Feel that you usually get through to the other person?

23. Think I assumed he / she would know that? 24. Allow the speaker to vent negative feelings towards you without becoming defensive?

25. Exercise repeatedly to increase your listening efficiency?

26.Take notes when necessary to help you to remember?

27. Hear sounds without being distracted by them? 28. Listen to the speaker without judging or criticising?

29. Restate instructions and messages to be sure you understand correctly?

30. Come with a statement about what you believe the speaker is feeling?

SCORING SHEET

Circle the number that represents the category you checked on each item of the Self Evaluation MOST OF THE TIME 1 4 1 4 4 4 4 1 1 1 4 4 1 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 FREQUENTLY 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 OCCASIONALLY 3 2 3 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 ALMOST NEVER 4 1 4 1 1 1 1 4 4 4 1 1 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Total number of items circled in each column: MOST OF THE TIME Scoring FREQENTLY OCCASIONALLY ALMOST NEVER .

110-120 99-109 88 - 98 77-87

Superior Above average Average Fair

COMMUNICATION CONFUSION Nothing is more important in dealing with people than communication - the exchange of ideas between two or more people by verbal or written means. A certain word has a certain meaning to you, but it might have an entirely different meaning to somebody else. Also the assumption you make when you state something may be entirely different from the assumption the other person makes. Here is a classic example of distortion in communication because of misinterpretation of words and meaning: We are sure you will all be amused by the following Communication Confusion contributed to Lakme News by Mrs. Tata. From Managing the Director to Production Director: Tomorrow morning there will be a total eclipse of the sun at nine o clock. This is something which we cannot see happen every day, so let the work force line up outside, in their best clothes, to watch it. To mark the occasion of this rare occurrence. I will personally explain the phenomenon to them. If it is raining , we shall not be able to see it very well, and in that case, the work force should assemble in the canteen. From Production Director to Production Manager: By order of the Managing Director, there will be a total eclipse of the sun at nine o cock tomorrow morning. If it is raining, we shall not be able to see very well on site, in our best clothes. In that case, the disappearance of the sun will be followed through in the canteen. This is something which we cannot see happen every day. From Production Manager to Departmental Manager: By order of the Managing Director, we shall follow through, in our best clothes, the disappearance of the sun in the canteen tomorrow at nine o clock. The Managing Director will tell us whether it is going to rain. This is something which we cannot see happen every day. From Departmental Manager to Foreman: If it is raining in the canteen tomorrow morning, which is something that we cannot see happen every day, the Managing Director in his best clothes will disappear at nine o clock. From Foreman to all Operatives: Tomorrow morning at nine o clock, the Managing Director will disappear. It is a pity that we cannot see this happen every day.