The “OWL” Method

A wise old owl sat on an oak

The more he heard, the less he spoke.

The less he spoke, the more he heard.

Wasn’t he a wise old bird?

This rhyme was often said by John Wooden, the greatest coach for the UCLA Bruins Men’s Basketball team. Wooden used to share this saying with his student-athletes to help them understand that listening is more powerful than talking.

It also, helped to remind me of using the OWL Method, Like the bird, the OWL.

The “O” which stands for "Observe."  Look at the world around you.  What stands out?

What grabs your attention? What’s ordinary, yet significant?  Your eyes have the opportunity to observe if you look.

I’ll skip over, to the “L” which stand for "Listen".  What do you hear now?  Are the sounds melodic or messy?  Do you hear that?  Are the sounds around you balanced or benign, or deep and disturbing?  Are your ears, open to the music in the air or do you even audience to the sounds around you?

Now back to the middle letter.  The “W” which stands for “Write”.  Write down what you see and hear.  The “W” unifies the “O” and the “L” and makes you more aware of the world around you. Write with an eye that describes what you see and an ear of what you hear happening around you.

Writing makes me a better speaker because when you write I clarify my thoughts. When I have clarity, I come to conciseness, which is being brief. This process gives a speaker the opportunity to be efficient with their words, yet get their point in an effective and memorable way.

The “OWL” Method consists of observing, listening and writing. and helps me unify my speaking to be a more effective communicator.

A wise old owl sat on an oak

The more he heard, the less he spoke.

The less he spoke, the more he heard.

Wasn’t he a wise old bird?