HOW TO EFFECTIVELY LISTEN AS A PUBLIC SPEAKER By Mafe Olatunji
A wise old bird sat on an oak. The more he saw, the less he spoke. The less he spoke, the more he heard. Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird? - Edwards Hersey Richards I have always been fascinated by this nursery rhyme as a young boy, about this wise old bird that gets wiser as she listens. It is said that we have two ears and one mouth so we can speak less and hear more. As a public speaker, one may struggle with this, as the natural tendency is to speak. However, any communication is incomplete without feedback and feedback can only be received by listening. Hence, the purpose of this article is to show how well one should listen to his/her audience – both in spoken and unspoken manners. According to data from Oxford Languages, the term ‘listen’ means to give one’s attention to sound or something. It originates from the Old English word of Germanic origin ‘hlysnan’ which means ‘pay attention to’. As a public speaker, it is pertinent to pay attention to your audience wh