What is Your Listening IQ?

by Rebecca Shafir

What is your listening IQ? Take The Zen of Listening quiz and find out!

Discover how mindful listening can help you achieve:

• more satisfying personal and business relationships

• improved memory and concentration

• better negotiation skills

• loyal family members, co-workers and customers 

• and more…

Directions: Read each question and answer: “M” for “most of the time,” “S” for “Sometimes” or “N” for “Never” next to the question.

When someone is talking to you, do you:

1) put aside your agenda and focus COMPLETELY on the speaker?___

2) feel comfortable asking someone’s name if you forgot?___

3) avoid judging and criticizing the speaker silently to yourself?___

4) stay calm and focused on the speaker’s message even if words are hurtful?___

5) recall at least 80% of the conversation days later?___

6) feel comfortable with silence?___

7) withhold the urge to interrupt?___

8) make every person you choose to listen to feel valued and respected?___

Give yourself 10 points for every “M” answer, 5 points for every “S” answer and 1 point” for every “N”. Total your score.

If you scored below 80, your listening could use of bit of ZEN. Check out the award-winning book The Zen of Listening: Mindful Communication in the Age of Distraction by Rebecca Shafir.