Do You Have Effective Communication Skills? Take This Quiz To Find Out!

By Kathryn Ramsperger | September 14, 2018
Do you have effective communication skills?

Do you have effective communication skills? No one is perfect when it comes to communication, but just about everyone can do better and become more effective. It’s something we should strive toward because we communicate for better or worse every single day. Take this short quiz to identify your communication strengths and weaknesses.

  1. When communicating with others, I adapt my message, style, and tone to my audience, taking into account the situation:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. I pay attention to the non-verbal signals I’m sending to make sure they are consistent with my words:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. I demonstrate that I am listening by nodding or saying words like, “Yes,” “I see,” and “Uh huh”:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. I can read another person’s mood by watching their body language and facial expressions:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. I maintain eye contact with the person I’m conversing with:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. I try to understand the other person’s point of view by asking questions and repeating back what I think they are saying:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. I try to show empathy and compassion when the person I’m speaking with gets emotional:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. I show I’m engaged in a conversation by asking meaningful questions and giving positive feedback to the person or group I’m with:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. When having to deliver correction or criticism to someone (e.g. a child, significant other, or employee), I stay focused on identifying the problem and seeking a solution rather than ranting and raving:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. I treat others respectfully even when I strongly disagree or are upset with them:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. I refrain from using absolutes like “always” and “never” when having disagreement or argument with someone (e.g. “I’m always the one who has to fix things” or “You never care about my feelings”):
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. I try to avoid spreading or participating in gossip:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. I find myself interrupting if I am bored with the conversation or disagree with what is being said:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. If I think I know what someone is going to say, I finish their sentences for them:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. I fidget and look away a lot when I get bored with a conversation:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. I stop listening and tune the person out when their views are different than mine:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. I’m quick to offer solutions when someone is telling me about their problems:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. I try to think of a good or clever response while the other person is still speaking:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. I try to make the other person to see my point of view at all costs:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never
  1. I try to use fancy vocabulary words and jargon so people know I am intelligent:
  1. Always / Almost Always
  2. Often
  3. Sometimes
  4. Rarely / Never

Answer Key: 

The first 12 questions reflect effective communication skills; so if you answered Always/Almost Always or Often, good for you! You’re on the right track. Your listening skills, speaking habits, and emotional intelligence are above average.

If you answered Sometimes or Rarely/Never, your skills need some practice and polish; but guess what? With practice, over time, good communication skills can be learned and developed! Be patient with yourself and others.

The last 8 questions reflect negative habits and traits. If you answered Sometimes or Rarely/Never, that’s great! You have a firm understanding of social etiquette. You demonstrate maturity and wisdom in communicating with others.

If you answered Always/Almost Always or Often, then the good news is that you’ve identified the areas you’re weak in! Now you can turn things around! You see, no matter where we are in our career, life, relationships, and social skills, knowledge is the foundation upon which to build. The first step in any worthwhile endeavor is assessing what tools we already have and which ones we lack. Only then can we come up with a blueprint for success. Knowing what works and what doesn’t is the beginning of your journey to becoming an effective communicator.

If you want to improve your communication, I can help. Feel free to reach out to me at https://groundonecoaching.com/contact/. Tell me you’d like a complimentary, free introductory chat. You can ask any question you’d like. Or you can leave a question in the comments below. Looking forward to communicating with you!

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