--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd say the best way to train someone is…" description: "\"I'd say the best way to train someone is to remember that you have two ears and one mouth, and use them in that ratio. That's hard to do, and ultimatel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/brad-d-smith-19561_actually_i-d-say-the-best-way-to-train-someone-is_843862.jpg" --- # I'd say the best way to train someone is to remember that… ![“I'd say the best way to train someone is to remember that you have two ears and one mouth, and use them in that ratio. That's hard to do, and ultimately what we've learned is how many false positives you get from listening to what someone says they're going to do instead of observing what they…” quote by Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/brad-d-smith-19561_actually_i-d-say-the-best-way-to-train-someone-is_843862.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/brad-d-smith-19561_actually_i-d-say-the-best-way-to-train-someone-is_843862.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/brad-d-smith-19561_actually_i-d-say-the-best-way-to-train-someone-is_843862.jpg) > “I'd say the best way to train someone is to remember that you have two ears and one mouth, and use them in that ratio. That's hard to do, and ultimately what we've learned is how many false positives you get from listening to what someone says they're going to do instead of observing what they actually do.” [Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective communication requires listening twice as much as speaking, focusing on observed actions rather than promises. **In simple terms:** Listen more, speak less, act on what you see. Key Takeaway Prioritize listening and observation. Themes communication leadership training feedback observation Mood reflective practical Type advice motivational When to use this quote - team meetings - coaching sessions - performance reviews - customer feedback - project debriefs Key Concepts active listening behavioral verification learning loops Questions to Reflect On - How can you encourage honest observation? - What habits improve listening ratios? A Different Perspective People may resist honest feedback, limiting observation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually/) [Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) [Best way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-way/) [Ears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ears/) [Ears Mouth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ears-mouth-516471/) [False](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Instead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instead/) [Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned/) [Learned False](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned-false-672163/) [Listening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listening/) [Listening Says](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listening-says-249083/) [Many](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/many/) [Mouth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mouth/) [Observing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observing/) [Positives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positives/) [Ratio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ratio/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Remember Ears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember-ears-672162/) [Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say/) [Says](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/says/) [Someone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/someone/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) [Train](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/train/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Ultimately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ultimately/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [“Black is a blind remembering, she thought. You listen for pack sounds, for the cries of those who hunted your ancestors in a past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/black-is-a-blind-remembering-she-thought-you-listen-for-pack-sounds/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [I listen to heavy metal thanks to my son. When I argue with him on the kind of music he is listening to, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/i-listen-to-heavy-metal-thanks-to-my-son-when-i-argue-with-him-on-the/) [Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/) > [Keep any description of trouble or sickness or error minimal, for there is something inside which is listening, and it says, 'Oh! You like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ervin-seale/keep-any-description-of-trouble-or-sickness-or-error-minimal-for/) [Ervin Seale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ervin-seale/) > [“Okay, here’s a cheat I learned in a leadership seminar. It’s called active listening. Someone says something, a complaint, or a criticism, or they’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wildbow/okay-here-s-a-cheat-i-learned-in-a-leadership-seminar-it-s-called/) [wildbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wildbow/) > [“We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/as-quoted-by-diogenes-la-rtius-zeno-of-citium/we-have-two-ears-and-one-mouth-so-we-should-listen-more-than-we-say/) [as quoted by Diogenes Laërtius Zeno of Citium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/as-quoted-by-diogenes-la-rtius-zeno-of-citium/) > [we have two ears and one mouth and we should use them proportionally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/we-have-two-ears-and-one-mouth-and-we-should-use-them-proportionally/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [God gave us two ears and only one mouth for a reason: so we would learn to speak up!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-alejandro-king/god-gave-us-two-ears-and-only-one-mouth-for-a-reason-so-we-would/) [John Alejandro King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-alejandro-king/) > [“Listening is more important than talking. If that was not true, God would not have given us two ears and only one mouth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/listening-is-more-important-than-talking-if-that-was-not-true-god/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm a good listener, you know. My gran used to say that's why you've got two ears and one mouth. I just truly love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-reid/i-m-a-good-listener-you-know-my-gran-used-to-say-that-s-why-you-ve/) [Johnny Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-reid/) > [God gave people 2 ears and 1 mouth because He wants us to listen twice as much as we talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-harris/god-gave-people-2-ears-and-1-mouth-because-he-wants-us-to-listen/) [Joshua Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-harris/) > [“Listen, you've got two ears and one mouth, they've got the majority so shut up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-colman/listen-you-ve-got-two-ears-and-one-mouth-they-ve-got-the-majority-so/) [Paul Colman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-colman/) > [When you are in it up to your ears, keep your mouth shut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-duhamel/when-you-are-in-it-up-to-your-ears-keep-your-mouth-shut/) [Georges Duhamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-duhamel/) > [We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-have-two-ears-and-one-mouth-so-that-we-can-listen-twice-as-much-as/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“We have two ears and one mouth, therefore we should listen twice as much as we speak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeno/we-have-two-ears-and-one-mouth-therefore-we-should-listen-twice-as/) [Zeno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeno/) > [All we have to do is listen. The Good Lord gave us two ears and only one mouth, my dear white-headed mother used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/all-we-have-to-do-is-listen-the-good-lord-gave-us-two-ears-and-only/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) ## More by Brad D. Smith > [Remember: there are no MVPs on a losing team. You will always be a part of some team. Families are teams. Companies are teams.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/remember-there-are-no-mvps-on-a-losing-team-you-will-always-be-a-part/) [Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) > [I didn't know I'd ever be able to love my second child like I love my first; she came out, and I was amazed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/i-didn-t-know-i-d-ever-be-able-to-love-my-second-child-like-i-love-my/) [Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) > [Good intentions often get muddled with very complex execution. The last time the government tried to make taxes easier, it created a 1040 EZ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/good-intentions-often-get-muddled-with-very-complex-execution-the/) [Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) > [We've been delivering cloud-based services for over a decade, with more than 30 million Intuit customers using offerings across a variety of desktop and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/we-ve-been-delivering-cloud-based-services-for-over-a-decade-with/) [Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) > [I get into the office about 7 A.M., then I usually get out of the office a little after 7 P.M. I get home,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/i-get-into-the-office-about-7-a-m-then-i-usually-get-out-of-the/) [Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) > [I've done a number of things in the spirit of employee motivation. I tend to be a storyteller and a student of history. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/i-ve-done-a-number-of-things-in-the-spirit-of-employee-motivation-i/) [Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) > [Millennials, and the generations that follow, are shaping technology. This generation has grown up with computing in the palm of their hands. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/millennials-and-the-generations-that-follow-are-shaping-technology/) [Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) > [Customer-driven innovation was at the core of Intuit's first product, 'Quicken,' and it continues to guide us as we look to solve new problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/customer-driven-innovation-was-at-the-core-of-intuit-s-first-product/) [Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) > [Millennials' tech and global savvy will make them instrumental in shaping our mobile future worldwide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/millennials-tech-and-global-savvy-will-make-them-instrumental-in/) [Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) > [I tell people: 'Do what you love, but it can also be hard to know what you love early on. But when you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/i-tell-people-do-what-you-love-but-it-can-also-be-hard-to-know-what/) [Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) > [Intuit's mission, values, and culture of innovation set us apart as a great place to work. Our 8,000 employees are innovators and entrepreneurs that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/intuit-s-mission-values-and-culture-of-innovation-set-us-apart-as-a/) [Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) > [The world has shifted to the palm of our hand, or a tablet. We hadn't been investing in 'Quicken' that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/the-world-has-shifted-to-the-palm-of-our-hand-or-a-tablet-we-hadn-t/) [Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) > [The computer has moved to the palm of our hands now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/the-computer-has-moved-to-the-palm-of-our-hands-now/) [Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) > [My dad worked for Nestle for 26 years and ended up being the mayor of our hometown. One of the lessons I learned from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/my-dad-worked-for-nestle-for-26-years-and-ended-up-being-the-mayor-of/) [Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) > [The best time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/the-best-time-to-repair-the-roof-is-when-the-sun-is-shining/) [Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) [Explore all 32 Brad D. Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) ## More Actually quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I actually like getting out of my comfort zone. It shakes me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/i-actually-like-getting-out-of-my-comfort-zone-it-shakes-me-up/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/) [David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/) > [Failure actually makes you strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/failure-actually-makes-you-strong/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [I'm from Europe, England, and I actually lived in Italy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/i-m-from-europe-england-and-i-actually-lived-in-italy/) [Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/) > [The alternative comedy scene is actually pretty small, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wilson/the-alternative-comedy-scene-is-actually-pretty-small-i-guess/) [Casey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wilson/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [I actually do sing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-harket/i-actually-do-sing-sometimes/) [Morten Harket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-harket/) > [I've actually got quite a good memory. I've good recall. It's often things which other people might not notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-frame/i-ve-actually-got-quite-a-good-memory-i-ve-good-recall-it-s-often/) [Ronald Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-frame/) > [Because there is actually something very interesting in Goodfellas, how the style of the film changes as time goes by and based on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/because-there-is-actually-something-very-interesting-in-goodfellas/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) [Browse all 4,248 Actually quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'd say the best way to train someone is to remember that you have two ears and one mouth, and use them in that ratio. That's hard to do, and ultimately what we've learned is how many false positives you get from listening to what someone says they're going to do instead of observing what they actually do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brad D. Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/i-d-say-the-best-way-to-train-someone-is-to-remember-that-you-have/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actually" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/i-d-say-the-best-way-to-train-someone-is-to-remember-that-you-have/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/brad-d-smith-19561_actually_i-d-say-the-best-way-to-train-someone-is_843862.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/brad-d-smith-19561_actually_i-d-say-the-best-way-to-train-someone-is_843862.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/brad-d-smith-19561_actually_i-d-say-the-best-way-to-train-someone-is_843862.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'd say the best way to train someone is to remember that you have two ears and one mouth, and use them in…” — Brad D. Smith", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Brad D. Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'd say the best way to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/i-d-say-the-best-way-to-train-someone-is-to-remember-that-you-have/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/i-d-say-the-best-way-to-train-someone-is-to-remember-that-you-have/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```