WHAT THIS IS

This short exercise helps you identify the habits, behaviours and mental filters that block effective listening and prevent us from being fully present to others.

It draws directly from Be More Strategic, Chapter 4: Listen Deeply where we explore twelve of the most common barriers to real, open listening.

This exercise guide can be used alone, with your team, or even around the dinner table.

WHY IT MATTERS

Listening isn’t just a courtesy; it’s a strategic capability.

When we listen well, we build trust, surface insight, and understand the wider system before acting. When we don’t, we operate on assumptions, miss context, and damage relationships.

“How well you listen is often the clearest sign of how open you are to learning.”

HOW TO USE THIS TOOL‍

Read each statement and rate how often it sounds like you:

1 = Rarely   2 = Sometimes   3 = Often   4 = Almost always

Add up your scores at the end, then reflect on which barriers dominate.