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...