Active Listening Skills Practice Worksheet
Develop and strengthen your active listening abilities through practical exercises and self-reflection
Current Listening Skills Assessment
Active Listening Principles
Core Components of Active Listening
Give your complete focus to the speaker. Put away distractions and maintain eye contact.
Use body language that shows engagement: nodding, leaning in, open posture.
Let the speaker finish their thoughts completely before responding.
Repeat back what you heard to confirm understanding.
Seek to understand deeper meanings and details.
Acknowledge and validate the speaker's emotions and perspective.
Listening Barriers & Obstacles
Detailed Skill Assessment
Rate Your Current Skills (1=Never, 4=Always)
Honestly assess how often you demonstrate these listening behaviors.
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Active Listening Techniques
Verbal Techniques for Active Listening
"What I hear you saying is..." or "It sounds like you feel..."
"Can you help me understand..." or "What do you mean by...?"
"Let me see if I understand the main points..." or "So to summarize..."
"You seem frustrated about this" or "That must have been exciting"
"Mm-hmm," "I see," "Go on," "Tell me more"
"How did that make you feel?" or "What was that experience like for you?"
Practice Scenarios
Real-Life Listening Situations
Practice these scenarios mentally or with a partner to improve your active listening skills.
A coworker is venting about a difficult project and seems overwhelmed. They keep repeating how unfair the situation is.
A friend is excitedly telling you about a promotion they received, but you're dealing with your own work stress.
A family member is describing a complicated relationship issue with lots of details and emotions involved.
Someone is expressing an opinion you strongly disagree with. You feel your emotions rising as they speak.
Role-Play Exercises
Structured Practice Activities
Exercise 1: The Speaker-Listener Technique
1 Person A speaks for 2 minutes about a topic of their choice
2 Person B listens without interrupting, using non-verbal encouragement
3 Person B paraphrases what they heard
4 Person A confirms if the paraphrase was accurate
5 Switch roles and repeat
Reflection Questions:
Exercise 2: Emotion Recognition Practice
1 Person A tells a story with emotional content
2 Person B focuses on identifying and reflecting emotions
3 Person B responds with emotional validation
4 Discuss how accurately emotions were identified
Reflection Questions:
Listening in Different Contexts
What listening challenges do you face at work?
How can you improve listening with family and friends?
What makes listening difficult during disagreements?