Printing Instructions:
Before printing first reduce the scaling to be about 80%.
If you don't, the scoring numbers for each statement won't line up properly.

100 Ways To Improve Your Communication Style
Developed by Thomas J. Leonard for the book
The Portable Coach published by Simon & Schuster.

©1997 by Thomas J. Leonard. All rights reserved. No adaptation, reselling, group use or repackaging.
If duplicated or retransmitted, it must include 100% of this work, with full attribution and this copyright/use notice.
version 1.01, 10/1/97

Bar Chart
Color in the boxes below, left to right, to create a bar chart which reflects your current score for each section.
Update this chart as you make progress in this program.
Keep going until you reach a full 30 points in each category!

The 10 Areas of Communication
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30

1. How well do you come across?

2. How well do you listen?

3. How well are you understood?

4. What do you talk about?

5. How well do you converse?

6. How believable are you?

7. How positive are you?

8. How do you affect others?

9. How effectively do you communicate?

10. How aware are you?


Current Overall Score is: _______
Maximum is 300 points

Percentage Score is: _______%
Maximum is 100%

Instructions & Scoring

This self-test contains 10 'questions' in each of the 10 categories listed above in the Bar Chart.
On the following pages, please read all 100 statement pairs and circle the numeral 1, 2, or 3 located between them.

- Circle 1 if the statement on the left is fairly true or often true.
- Circle 2 if the statements on both the left and right are both somewhat true.
- Circle 3 if the statement on the right is almost always true.

Scoring Tips
A. If you're on the fence about a statement, be a hard grader and circle 2 or 1. Only circle 3 if you (and others) feel that you've really mastered that element of your communication style. Even fairly good communicators will usually score a 1 or 2.
B. A score of 3 really means that you are model of this statement. You've probably been complimented many times for it. It means that all parts of the statement on the right are true; not just selected parts are true.
C. If you find that only one part of the statement on the left is true but other parts are not, give yourself a 1. Any aspect of the statement being true will give you a 'low' score.
D. If you find yourself cheating or being overly generous, please deduct 10 percentage points from the overall total. Likewise, if you have been overly hard on yourself, add 5 percentage points to your overall score. The best thing is to be fair and honest in your self assessment, yet rigorous.
E. This profile is for you to take for yourself, but you may want to give it to friends or colleagues and have them profile you. In the training business, this is called "doing a 360." It's valuable because even if you are completely honest in answering the statements, most of us have blind spots or can't always see ourselves as others do. Give others a chance to help you by sharing this profile with them. (It's fine to duplicate this profile, but only for personal use. You may not adapt it or use it as the basis for business/corporate program or group work. Just 1-1 work. It is the intellectual property of Coach University, Inc.)

After Taking the Profile
If, after taking the test you find that you would like to improve your score, ask your coach for assistance.
If you don't have a coach, please visit the free Coach Referral Service at http://www.coachreferral.com

Starting in January 1998, Coach University will be awarding the Certified Communication Coach
designation to coaches who have been specially trained in the elements and nuances of this profile.

Contact Information

Coach University
2484 Bering Drive
Houston, Texas 77057
1-713-95COACH
1-800-48COACH
info@coachu.com
www.coachu.com

Thomas J. Leonard
3022 State Route 674, Box 299
Ruskin, Florida 33570
1-813-273-8781
thomas@coachu.com
www.thomasleonard.com

Irresistible Attraction
Having it all is just the beginning.
Thomas J. Leonard
Coach University
Scribner/Simon & Schuster
Available August 1998
www.irresistibleattraction.com




1. How well do you come across?
This is how others would likely describe your communication style.


1. Loud, coarse, booming, domineering, intense

2. Manic, charged up, hyper, too eager, too 'on'

3. Slow, plodding, flat, monotone, draggy

4. Complains, whines, screeches, grates

5. Sugary, puffery-oriented, too 'nice,' fake

6. Speaks at the person

7. Heavy, significant, overly concerned

8. Speaks in a complicated, convoluted or technical way

9. Suspicious, distrusting, negative, cold

10. Rigid, measured, dogmatic, linear


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Refined, subtle, graceful, polished, quiet

Naturally paced, calm, composed, present

Naturally paced, enthusiastic, vibrant

Pleased, thankful, grateful, happy

Expressive, not syrupy, genuine, accurate, honest

Shares with the person

Light, not weighted down, yet respectful and caring

Simple, easy to grasp and understand

Friendly, open, positive, expectant, warm

Flexible, fluid, casual, 3-dimensional

Section Score ______ (maximum is 30)



2. How well do you listen?
How well do you hear what is being said and not said?


11. Listens too attentively or too carefully; too intense

12. Hears mostly just the facts or information

13. Waits for overwhelming evidence before trusting self

14. Acquires and consumes information; always seeking

15. Listens passive, blindly, dumbly

16. Busy preparing a response to what is being said

17. Reacts negatively to what's being said

18. Interrupts, attempts to correct, advise or fix

19. Can hear/handle only one 'thing' at a time

20. Hears only part of what's being communicated; filters input


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Feels what is being said, doesn't need all of the data

Hears that which is behind what's actually being said

Trusts inklings or intuition fairly quickly

Lets what is heard be absorbed and integrated fully

Knows what to listen for, recognizes clues

Listens fully to the person speaking

Accepts what's being said; doesn't resist, defend or react

Prompts, encourages the person to say more

Can listen/handle multiple lines of the conversation

Hears everything that's being communicated

Section Score ______ (maximum is 30)




3. How well are you understood?
How well do you phrase and articulate your thoughts or concerns?


21. Launches in with new information or ideas recklessly

22. Lectures at others; pushes information

23. Rambles, confuses, over explains

24. Use cliches', jargon, technical language

25. Seeks to convince or sell

26. Speaks rotely/boilerplate; same content/format for everyone

27. Uses general or vague terms or words; over simplifies

28. Says what the other person wants or needs to hear

29. If misunderstood, repeats same thing, probably louder

30. Has limited vocabulary or understanding of words


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First contextualizes new information or ideas

Educates others, notices how well the listener is absorbing

Is succinct; uses clear, easily understood terms

Makes points in simple, compelling message format

Seeks to respond to the needs and interests of the listener

Personalizes, customizes words/message to fit listener's ear

Uses exact, highly descriptive words or terms

Says what needs to be said; doesn't hold back

If misunderstood, says it very differently; uses examples

Has extensive, full vocabulary and command of language

Section Score ______ (maximum is 30)




4. What do you talk about?
In conversations, what do you talk about most?


31. Talks about life's symptoms, circumstances, problems

32. The negative side of things; what's wrong

33. The past or the future

34. What you or they should, could or ought to be doing

35. What interests you; your agenda exclusively

36. Mostly just facts, information, historical data

37. Others

38. What you know

39. What the other person should do or not do

40. Things you're trying to get the other person to believe


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Talks about the source of a problem or its possible solutions

The positive side of things; what one is happy about

The present

What one really wants to do or is excited about

What interests both parties in the conversation

Concepts, ideas, possibilities, trends

Yourselves

What you're learning

What the other person most wants to do

The other person's situation, goals or problems

Section Score ______ (maximum is 30)



5. How well do you converse?
How well do you have fluid, two-way conversations?


41. Pushes mood or style onto the other person

42. Speaks OR listens; can't do both at same time; half-duplex

43. Easily distracted; inattentive

44. Interesting

45. Responds mostly to the information being shared

46. Needs to first understand the information fully

47. Locks on and doesn't stop until their point is fully made

48. Gives pat answers, cliches, sayings, quotes

49. Responds with non-sequitors; disjointed, off the subject

50. Peppers with questions


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Matches tone, mood and pace of the other person

Speaks AND listens at the same time (full-duplex)

Very attentive without being intrusive or in your face

Interested

Responds mostly to the person speaking

Easily gets the 'gist' of what is meant

Dances back and forth easily; quick on the draw; nimble

Responds with personalized, relative comments

Tracks, follows, responds to what has just been said

Clarifies what was said or meant

Section Score ______ (maximum is 30)



6. How believable are you?
How authentic is what you say?


51. Is pretentious, attempts to impress, a name-dropper

52. Too eager to please; two-faced or flip flops

53. Sneaky; says only part of the truth or facts

54. Dishonest, lies, fibs or is partially honest; justifies

55. Overpromises, overstates

56. Sells, promotes, enrolls, convinces, hooks/hypes

57. Performs for the listener or tries too hard

58. Hungry, desperate, needy, pleading

59. Insincere, disingenuous, fake, full of it

60. Sounds too 'on' or too up; adrenalined


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Simple, humble, non-pretentious, real

Happy to help and please, but not at the expense of honesty

Forthright and forthcoming; easily tells all of the facts or truth

Completely honest, always; can afford the consequences

Underpromises, understates

Tells, informs, responds to the other person's interest

Relates with them as an equal, collaboratively

Legitimate, experienced, secure, assured, confident

Sincere, caring, salt-of-the-earth; no b.s.

Present, relaxed; 'with' the other person

Section Score ______ (maximum is 30)



7. How positive are you?
How do you make people feel about themselves?


61. Critical, insensitive or harsh, even if accurate

62. Ignores, one-ups, downplays or diminishes the person

63. Excludes people or groups; bigoted, intolerant

64. Disrespectful to the other person, uses barbs or digs

65. Judges, ignores, labels, disregards others

66. Holds a grudge and shows it, gossips, backstabs, thwarts

67. Tears people down, points out flaws, undermines

68. Righteous; pushes own views relentlessly

69. Talks more than listens

70. Win (exclusively self-interest oriented)


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Constructive, yet direct and honest

Endorses, celebrates the other person's accomplishments

Inclusive, tolerant, learns from diversity or differentness

Highly respectful, even when the person is mistaken or wrong

Treats every person as a positive, well-intentioned individual

Is generous, forgiving, compassionate, seeks to mend or heal

Builds a person up, consistently

Curious; seeks to understand and evolve

Listens more than talks

Win-Win or Win-Win-Win oriented (you, them, others)

Section Score ______ (maximum is 30)



8. How do you affect others?
What impressions do you leave with others?


71. Annoys or irritates others with style, content, personality

72. Leaves others doubtful of one's skill level or expertise

73. Leaves people feeling hurt, bruised or in pain

74. Leaves the person not feeling heard

75. Leaves people feeling like they witnessed a performance

76. Leaves people with their eyes rolling, murmuring 'clueless'

77. Leaves people shaken or shocked by a torrent of emotion

78. Leaves people with their eyes glazed; information overload

79. Leaves people wondering why they bothered listening

80. Leaves people crossing you off their Rolodex immediately


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Impresses others without trying to

People find you credible and knowledgeable

Is always unconditionally constructive, even when joking

The person feels like you were really interested in them

The person feels like you were really 'with' them

The person feels you are wise and knowing, yet humble

The person feels touched and inspired by your presence

The person feels you helped them learn something easily

The person wants you to keep talking

The person invites to you spend more time together

Section Score ______ (maximum is 30)



9. How effectively do you communicate?
How easily and consistently does your communication cause the results you intend?


81. Results driven at the expense of individuals

82. Speaks from theory, book learning

83. Asks obliquely or hints at what is wanted or needed

84. Merely informs

85. Silent, passive, weak or wimpy; doesn't fully communicate

86. Needs immediate gratification, results, response, outcomes

87. Problem or circumstance oriented

88. Focuses on symptoms or irrelevant aspects of the situation

89. Says only what they are certain of

90. Conspiratorial, tribal


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Easily invests in others and harvests results from there

Speaks from hands on or observed experience

Asks or tells directly and straightforwardly

Naturally inspires

Naturally confident; requests and says what's on one's mind

Can easily afford to plant seeds and nourish the process/person

Solution-oriented

Quickly identifies and articulates the source of the problem

Experiments while speaking; creates on-the-fly

Collaborative; partner or team oriented

Section Score ______ (maximum is 30)



10. How aware are you?
How sensitive are you to the entire communication process?


91. Assumes one is a good or great communicator

92. Keeps talking even though the other person got the point

93. Unaware of how you are being perceived or reacted to

94. Narrowly focused on what you know

95. Reacts to or is surprised by events /trends, locally/globally

96. Ignorant, uninformed

97. Goal or tactically oriented

98. Consumes space and energy; intrudes in physical space

99. Guided only by one's own thoughts or knowledge

100. Speaks in "I" terms almost exclusively; experiences life via a single, self-oriented, vantage point


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Has a 360 degree view of oneself and how one communicates

Instantly gets when the other person has got the point

Aware of the reactions you are causing in others

Has a greater sense of life, things, priorities

Understands exactly why things are happening as they are

Educated and informed; up on current trends or events

Vision or strategically oriented

Adds to the space or energy in a conversation; respectful

Guided in what to say by their body, intuition; the other person

Speaks in "you" terms most of the time; experiences life from multiple vantage points

Section Score ______ (maximum is 30)


Grand Total Score ______ (maximum is 300)

Divide by 3 to arrive at your percent score:

________%



Scoring Key
Here's what your score says about the current status of your communication skills.
Score
Comments
90-100%

 

You are an extremely good communicator. If you aren't currently working in a field which benefits from your obvious communication talents, switch. Please consider becoming a Certified Communication Coach; you'll have a lot to offer your clients.

 
80-90%

 

You are very close to becoming an extremely good communicator. Within several months, you may well reach 100% on this profile. If this interests you, it will likely be a worthwhile investment, given very few people who take this test score this high.

 
70-80%

 

Congratulations. You are a very good communicator, but you probably know this already, based on what others have told you. If you wish to develop and master the communication skills which would result in you scoring 100% on this profile, a coach can probably help you reach that level of expertise within 9 months.

 
50-70%

 

You are a decent enough communicator. Your score may have been pulled down by low scores in several of the 10 categories. Work on those problem areas and you'll likely see your score increase dramatically.

 
30-50%

 

You are an average communicator, according to how you responded to this profile. If you wish to increase your score, we recommended that you seriously consider focusing on this area of your life for at least a year. Not everyone wants to be an excellent communicator, but if you do, you'll find that by working in this area of your life that other, seemingly-unrelated areas of your life will also improve. Communication can be the gateway or leverage point for overall quality of life improvement.

 
10-30%

 

Don't be disheartened. The author of this test scored in this range at an earlier stage of his life, before receiving communication training and coaching. You really can improve, if becoming a good communicator is something that you desire.

 
0-10%

 

You are probably either a politician or a long distance telephone company sales representative. If that's the case, there is no hope.

 
www.thomasleonard.com

©1997 by Thomas J. Leonard. All rights reserved.