Engagement Style Assessment :: Ageless Learner

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What's Your Engagement Style?

Complete the following questionnaire to identify how to prefer to engage with people when you learn. Compare the two side-by-side responses and circle the statement that applies to you right now. Count the number of circled items and write your total at the bottom of each column.


I like a holistic approach.	I like a logical approach.

I make decisions quickly.	I take time to reflect on my options.

I take on several parts of a project at once.	I finish one thing before starting another.

I’m comfortable even when I’m uncertain of the conclusion.	I like to know there is a logical conclusion.

People say I’m quick to take action.	People say I’m slow to take action.

I don’t need to know everything about a project before getting started.	I like to know the details before I start.

I’m quick to give an answer.	I like going point-by-point.

I tend to start projects without too much planning.	I tend to keep everything organized in an orderly fashion.

Total Talk to Think	Total Think to Talk

The column with the highest total represents your engagement style:
My engagement style:

If you are a talk-to-think learner, you will likely talk while learning. You might like to sound out ideas and say what’s on your mind. Because you rely on other people’s responses, you may prefer to work in a group or on a team. Sometimes you might hear yourself talking over people’s conversations if they speak slowly or you may find yourself filling in the gaps between their comments.

If you’re a think-to-talk learner, you probably dare say something before you’ve thought it well through. You might need some additional quiet time formulating a response to what you’ve heard. You may prefer to work alone or in a pair and might want to take your time when facing a challenging situation. You may find it tough to work in noisy environments with other activities going on.

More information on each style, along with suggestions on how to maximize your learning potential, is available in the book Learn More Now (Hoboken, NJ; John Wiley & Sons, 2004).

This assessment was published in Learn More Now: 10 Simple Steps to Learning Better, Smarter, and Faster (Hoboken, NJ; John Wiley & Sons, 2004). The learning style, motivation style, and direction style assessments are also included in that text.

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