A Communication Check List

Use this check list to assess your communication skills. Focus Do you pay complete attention to others when they are speaking? (A wandering focus discourages open communication.) Do you manage your thoughts during a conversation, focusing them on understanding what the other person is saying? (Effective listening requires more concentration than any other form of communication. If youre thinking about anything other than what the person is saying, youre defeating your ability to understand.) Do you postpone preparing your reply until after you have heard everything the other person has to say? (Thinking about what you plan to say while the other person is speaking prevents you from understanding what that person is saying.) Do you ignore distractions, such as other people, ambient noise, and the surroundings? (Attending to distractions makes you appear uninterested, unfocused, and rude.) Do you make eye contact during a conversation? (Watching a persons face shows that youre paying attention. You also gather nonverbal messages, which can convey most of the important information being conveyed to you.) Environment Do you convey confidence, courage, and strength during your conversations? (A pleasant manner will encourage people to trust you and tell you more. Negative behavior conveys weakness, insecurity, and fear.) Do you react calmly to bad news? (Anger will frighten people into avoiding you.) Do you encourage others to speak freely? (Appearing interested, asking questions, and treating others with respect will facilitate open communication.) Do you use a diplomatic, positive vocabulary? (Talking about what you want is more forceful than talking about what you dont want, wont do, or cant do. This means that in most cases you would delete the word not from what you say.) Do you seek solutions? (Seeking approval, culprits, or excuses, discourages communication.) Clarity Do you stick to the subject? (Introducing new unrelated issues will confuse the other person and degrade the quality of your conversation.) Do you maintain a you focus? (Speak in terms of what the other person needs, wants, and understands because that will enhance the impact of what you say.) Do you avoid games? (Asking trick questions, setting traps, and making others look bad will cause people to avoid you.) Do you use a linear, logical approach to explaining things? (Make it easy for others to understand you because its more efficient.) Do you use common terms? (Avoid jargon and flowery speech because these impress only the person using them.)