We all know that listening is one of the most important skills we need to communicate effectively as negotiators, leaders, parents, children, siblings and more. Poor listeners “hear” what’s being said, but they rarely “listen” to the whole message. They get distracted by their own thoughts or by what’s going on around them, and they formulate their responses before the person who they’re talking to has finished speaking. Because of this, they miss crucial information. Good listeners, on the other hand, enjoy better relationships, because they fully understand what other people are saying. Their team members are also more productive, because they feel that they can discuss problems easily, and talk through solutions.
You can learn specific ways to improve your listening but below is a high level assessment of what your score means. Satish Shenoy offers a workshop on “Listening for Leaders”. Please contact for more information.
| Your Score | What It Means |
| 0-20 | You are a Novice and have some work to do. Don’t fret. This is a skill that can easily be learned. Continue to work on your listening to become a Practitioner. |
| 21-40 | You are on your way and are a Practitioner of Listening. There is more work to be done. Practice some techniques shared in the workshop and you are well on your way to becoming a Rock Star. |
| 41-60 | You are about average when it comes to your listening skills. You are a Rock Star and you are not far from becoming a Wizard. |
| 61-80 | You are in the upper echelons and you are what we call a Wizard. Continue to work on your listening skills to become a Ninja. |
| 81-100 | You are almost achieving Ninja status. Ninjas never stop learning and growing so continue to hone your skills. |
