WorksheetsActive Listening Scenarios
Total questions: 10
Worksheet time: 13mins
Cheryl, an assistant store manager, finds it frustrating to talk to her manager Selena because she often interrupts people when they are talking. Today, Selena interrupted Cheryl, asking her to pull a product off the shelf when Cheryl was trying to ask a question about how to correct a cash register error. Cheryl walked off frustrated because Selena never seems to take the time to actually listen to what she has to say. What is the listening problem described in the scenario? Mark only one oval.
Ignoring
Pretend listening
Selective listening
Attentive listening
Empathetic listening
Based on the same Cheryl–Selena scenario, what is the best strategy to improve communication? Mark only one oval.
Ask open-ended questions, allow Cheryl to finish speaking without interruption, and then respond thoughtfully
Provide a written protocol and ask Cheryl to read it later without discussion
Continue multitasking during conversations to save time
Redirect Cheryl to another coworker instead of addressing her concern
Jason has an important report to prepare for a 3:00 meeting. Shania walks into his office and reminds him that he hasn’t signed off on the vacation request she submitted last week. Jason never looks up from his computer screen but tells her to fill out the vacation request form so he can sign it. Shania leaves frustrated because it’s clear to her that he didn’t listen to what she said. What is the listening problem described in the scenario? Mark only one oval.
Ignoring
Pretend listening
Selective listening
Attentive listening
Empathetic listening
For the Jason–Shania scenario, what strategy do you recommend to prevent this problem from occurring in the future? Mark only one oval.
Pause computer work, make eye contact, listen without interrupting, and paraphrase Shania’s request before responding
Keep working but ask Shania to email the request instead of speaking
Ask Shania to resubmit the form without discussion to save time
Sign the form immediately to end the conversation
Kimmon, a manager in a customer service call center, asks Drake, one of his employees, into his office. Kimmon tells Drake that he’s doing a great job managing his staff. He said his biggest area of concern is the length of time Drake’s employees spend on calls. He asks Drake to help his employees reduce the length of their calls. Drake leaves the meeting frustrated. He feels that all Kimmon does is criticize his work. What is the listening problem described in the scenario? Mark only one oval.
Ignoring
Pretend listening
Selective listening
Attentive listening
Empathetic listening
For the Kimmon–Drake scenario, what strategy do you recommend to prevent this problem from occurring in the future? Mark only one oval.
Use empathetic listening by acknowledging Drake’s feelings, asking him to summarize what he heard, and then collaborate on solutions
Emphasize the criticism more strongly to motivate faster change
Avoid discussing call length to prevent conflict
Send a memo instead of meeting so feedback feels less personal
Match the listening type to its definition. Mark only one oval per row.
Ignoring
The listener completely disregards the speaker’s message.
Empathetic Listening
The listener pays attention to the speaker’s emotions, perspective, and feelings.
Pretend Listening
The listener gives the impression that they are paying attention, but they are not actually focused on the speaker.
Selective Listening
The listener only focuses on certain parts of the message that interest them, while ignoring other parts they deem unimportant or irrelevant.
Attentive Listening
The listener focuses fully on the speaker and their message, giving them your undivided attention.
What is one thing you can do to prepare to listen to the speaker?
What is one thing you can do to listen actively to the speaker?
What is one thing you can do to listen empathetically?
