According to her score on this test, Mary's communication skills are excellent. Interpersonal skills are the essence of social interaction; they play a large role in the impression she makes on others. Deficient communication skills, both on the part of employees and managers, are one of the most common complaints in the work environment. Even if a job doesn't require interacting with the public, being able to communicate effectively with employees, team members, and colleagues is invaluable. A lack of skill in this area can result in serious work errors, unnecessary conflict or tension, misunderstandings, role confusion in group work, and even job dissatisfaction, among other things. The good news is that communication skills can be improved.

Mary definitely has a solid grasp of effective communication and most importantly, puts that know-how into practice. She is definitely on the right track.

Overall results (score 86)

According to her score on this test, Mary's communication skills are excellent. Interpersonal skills are the essence of social interaction; they play a large role in the impression she makes on others. Deficient communication skills, both on the part of employees and managers, are one of the most common complaints in the work environment. Even if a job doesn't require interacting with the public, being able to communicate effectively with employees, team members, and colleagues is invaluable. A lack of skill in this area can result in serious work errors, unnecessary conflict or tension, misunderstandings, role confusion in group work, and even job dissatisfaction, among other things. The good news is that communication skills can be improved.

Mary definitely has a solid grasp of effective communication and most importantly, puts that know-how into practice. She is definitely on the right track.

Insightfulness (score 87)

Mary's results indicate that she is extremely adept at interpreting other people's words and actions and seeing things from their perspective, which likely results in very few misunderstandings. Mary seems to realize that empathy is an essential part of good interpersonal skills and therefore, will do her best to place herself in other people's shoes in order to understand them better.

Insight plays a key role in almost any job. Salespeople rely on insight to learn more about a client’s needs; skilled negotiators rely on insight to try to uncover their opponent’s motivation and interests. In general, empathy makes it easier to get along with colleagues, to build a rapport with others, and to resolve conflicts. In Mary's case, she can usually get a good sense of what others are thinking, and will likely adjust herself accordingly if the people she is conversing with seem confused or perhaps uncomfortable.

Verbal Expression (score 84)

According to Mary's answers, she is very proficient at getting her point across to others. She seems capable of explaining herself clearly and effectively during social interactions. She is most likely the type of person who makes it a point to adjust her communication style to her audience, making it easier for people to understand her. Even if she isn’t entirely comfortable in all social situations, she probably comports herself exceptionally well. If given a job position where interacting with others is commonplace, she is apt to be a good candidate.

Assertiveness (score 73)

Mary's score indicates that she is fairly assertive when dealing with others and will rarely hesitate to express an opinion that strays from the norm. She seldom holds back from asking questions or discussing sensitive issues, even if it may result in an argument. This doesn't necessarily imply that she lacks tact; most people who are skilled in this area are able to stand up for themselves without being aggressive.

Even if she isn’t employed in a position that requires an assertive attitude (sales, for instance), it is important that Mary assert herself when dealing with authority, colleagues, or customers. People who are assertive are comfortable contributing their point of view, and are also able to talk to people who appear intimidating.

Listening Skills (score 92)

For any job that involves dealing with the public (colleagues included), good listening skills are one of the key elements of effective communication. Good listeners are often considered to be more helpful and empathetic, and also tend to be more productive and better at persuading and influencing people. In addition, active listening can go a long way towards avoiding unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings.

Mary had an excellent score on the listening skills component of this test. This means that she has a very good understanding of what active listening involves, and she actually puts that knowledge to use in her interactions with others. Many people wrongfully believe that listening is a passive activity, one that consists of simply absorbing what the other person says. Mary realizes that in fact, attending to others is an active process. It involves making an effort to stay attentive even when the conversation is boring, letting others speak without interrupting, and suppressing distracting mannerisms.

Emotional Management (score 86)

It appears as though Mary is quite capable of handling the emotional part of the communication process. Essentially, she is very comfortable dealing with emotionally charged situations; when confronted with a sensitive issue, she rarely, if ever, avoids discussing it. Mary is typically at ease discussing the issue of feelings in a conversation, and seldom finds herself at a loss for words when it comes to talking about her emotions or responding to someone else's. This ability to manage emotions has likely served her well, making for smoother communication in her work relationships.

Although emotional outbursts are likely not highly tolerated in many companies (whether it's directed towards clients, co-workers, or supervisors), they can and will happen. Frustrated customers, stressed-out colleagues, or an angry boss are emotional situations that Mary will likely encounter on some occasions. In fact, she may often feel these emotions herself. If she is comfortable and able to deal with emotionally charged situations, her work experience will be the better for it. Mary seems to understand that emotional occurrences are bound to happen.