Toastmasters' Speech Project # 3 (Get to the Point)

How to Listen and Benefit

How many times have you regretted and said to yourself “If I only had listened a little bit better”?


Dear fellow Toastmasters and Distinguished Guests,

We all have experienced occasions where we felt that situations would have been much better if we had listened better. We would avoid anger, embarrassment or loss of friendship and instead we would gain confidence, respect, friends, and productivity in whatever we are doing, by better listening. Listening is an essential skill we all should acquire and develop. I would like to talk to you about the process of listening, give you some tips on how to be an effective learner, and will highlight some of the benefits of good listening.

Let us look at the Listening process. Listening is a very interactive process and has three major steps.

The first one is Hearing. Hearing means listening enough to catch what the speaker is saying.

The second step is Understanding. This is where you try to understand what you have heard.

And the third and final step is Judging. After you are sure you understand what the speaker has said, think about whether it makes sense.

Now that you have a good understanding about the Listening process, let me share with you some tips that would help you become a better listener.

First thing is that you must give full attention to the speaker. Don’t look out of the window.

Then, make sure your mind is focused. Don’t let it wonder.

Another important thing is to let the speaker finish before start to talk.

Let yourself finish listening before you start to speak. You cannot really listen if you are busy thinking about what you want to say.

Then, Listen for main ideas. Give special attention to phrases that started statements such as "my point is...." or "the thing to remember is ", etc. Usually, important points are followed after such phrases.

Finally, Ask questions. If you are not sure what the speaker has said, ask the speaker. It is a good idea to state your understanding in your own words of what the speaker has said.

Now that you have a good understanding about the Listening Process and are aware of some tips on how to become a good listener, let me highlight some of the major benefits of good listening.

If you are a good listener, you will earn a bond of respect. You will earn a lot of respect from your colleagues, family, etc. because you are a person who listens to them.

Good listening helps you become more productive. As you are giving time to explain problems the speakers themselves come up with solutions to the problems before you start giving your own advices. This will enable you to come up with a solution faster.

When good listening is in practice, both the speaker and listener will have ‘cooler heads’. Focusing on listening helps both speaker and listener to stay cool. This will help solve problems better especially when they are critical or emotionally driven.

Good listeners will also earn confidence from colleagues. A supervisor who listens well will earn self-esteem and self-image and confidence from others.

Finally, good listening helps you get accurate information from speakers. Better listening enables better recollection of important points and less miscommunications.

These are some of the benefits good listening can bring about.
Dear Fellow Toastmasters and Distinguished Guests, let me recap what I have said so far to conclude my speech.

Listening is a very important skill we all should acquire and develop.

Listening is also a very interactive process, which has three major steps; Hearing, Understanding, and Judging.

There are some good practices to follow if you want to become a good listener. They include, paying attention, being focused, allowing speakers to finish before you respond, finish listening before you respond, look fro important points, ask questions, etc.

Finally, the benefits of good listening include, earning respect and confidence, being more productive in problem solving, having cooler heads to solve critical and emotionally driven issues, and getting accurate information and avoiding miscommunications.

I am sure you all are now convinced of the importance and benefits of good listening.
Let me conclude with this saying:

“A wise old owl sat on an oak; the more he saw the less he spoke; the less he spoke the more he heard; why aren't we like that wise old bird?”