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THOUGHTS FROM THE DIRECTOR’S STAND
Are You Listening?
Eldred Brown, DTM - District Director
As I was preparing to serve as the Toastmaster speaker. By speaking, that person will commit
for the September 16th meeting of Marylhurst more of the subject to memory. We can help
Toastmasters, I discovered that it was the 6th each other become better speakers merely by
annual observance of the International Day of listening to them!
Listening. This event was started in 2016 by the Another awesome benefit of listening is that
International Listening Association (ILA) and is better listeners tend to perform better in their
observed every year on the third Thursday of jobs. Physicians who listen well are less often
September. Their goal is to promote a variety sued for malpractice. Detectives who listen well
of events from one-on-one conversations with often pick up information on a case that less
friends and family, to business or community skilled detectives miss—information that could
meetings, to governments and their citizens lead to the prosecution of a tough case. Even
talking about mutual concerns. We are high school students will perform better when
encouraged to engage in listening activities their principals listen to their teachers. Is it any
that create and strengthen our connections to surprise then that better listeners also make more
other people. What better way could there be to effective leaders? Just by listening?
participate in the day’s activities than to make Seeing that the title of his talk alludes to the
the International Day of Listening the meeting enemies of listening, what does Professor Kluger
theme and talk about how important listening identify as the enemies of listening? A few, but not
is to our growth as speakers and leaders? all of them, are boredom, dominance, and cost.
While browsing the ILA website, I discovered
a page of TEDx Talks I thought were particularly Boredom
enlightening. Probably the most important tip Have you ever encountered that person who
I took away from Dr. Avraham (Avi) N. Kluger’s would talk your ear off and bore you to sleep?
Listening and Its Enemies, is that when you listen Ask the speaker to tell you stories, and lead the
to another person, you encourage that person speaker with the question, “And what else?” You
to speak. This helps the person become a better may find that the speaker eventually touches on
14 ONE COMMUNITY
