Improving Your Listening Skills

Quiz 1

1. What is the first step to having a high-stakes conversation?

Find a quiet, private space.

Compare notes with your colleagues.

Identify the right time to have the conversation.

2. Why should you become a better listener?

to obtain praise

to have access to the complete story

to become liked and trusted

to achieve managerial status

3. When you listen better, you get access to more complete information.

FALSE

TRUE

4. Which approach often works best for regaining attention from an audience?

Become louder and speed up your cadence.

Quiz the audience regularly.

Become softer and use pauses.

Question the audience’s attentiveness.

5. When you interrupt someone, it’s a sign you’re not listening.

FALSE

TRUE

6. What feature do most reasons for not listening have in common?

distraction

boredom

disinterest

excitementIncorrectExcitement is a sign that perhaps one thinks that they have a better idea.

Quiz 2

1. An effective way to make someone feel heard is to _____.

repeat their message word for word

find flaws in the grammatical constructions and logic of their message

paraphrase their message and ask them to expand upon a certain point

exaggerate their message to explore the logical consequences

2. It’s a good idea to repeat back exactly what the person said, using the same words.

TRUE

FALSE

Final Exam

1. When talking with a boring or annoying person, what will best help you keep listening effectively?

Take deep breaths until they finish talking.

Remind yourself that given their unique experiences, they probably have a good reason for their worldview.

Remind yourself that this is a test of your endurance and willpower.

Try to think about your to-do list or your work agenda for tomorrow, until they stop talking,.

2. What’s the most effective method for reducing tension and the desire to interrupt?

Close your eyes while listening.

Breath deeply.

Recite a poem.

Tune out the speaker or picture them in a chicken costume.

3. To stop yourself from interrupting, you can _.

count to 100 before responding

physically restrain yourself

play with your food

take notes on what the other person is saying

4. If someone says they’re fine, they might not be if they also _.

are doodling

are playing with their smartphone

are using closed body language (such as crossed arms)

are yawning

5. You can have more meaningful conversations if you ask _.

about people’s childhood

open-ended questions

politely

detailed questions

6. Which reason best justifies the inclusion of third parties in high-stakes conversations?

Everyone listens and interprets a little differently.

It is imperative to have witnesses at a negotiation.

It offers distractions that lower the tension.

It helps intimidate the opposition.

7. What is an effective strategy to recapture someone’s attention?

Snap your fingers.

Lower your voice.

start yelling.

Make a sarcastic comment.

8. When someone says something that you disagree with, you should _.

deride the speaker

ask for evidence

let the speaker move on after minor clarification

debate the point on the spot

9. What is a common reason that people interrupt?

all of these answers

They are excited.

They are nervous.

They disagree with what you’re saying.