Stop Dominating the Conversation

When you’re leading a meeting, it’s tempting to hold the floor. After all, you called everyone together, right? But no one wants to go to a meeting where one person talks the whole time, and you’re unlikely to get what you need from the group if you’re delivering a monologue. To keep yourself in check, try three tactics. First, make notes and stick to them. Give yourself a time limit, and condense what you have to say into that amount of time. Second, send the agenda around in advance. Tell people whose opinions you respect that you are hoping they will speak up, and then call on them during the meeting. Third, use a round-robin format, where you go around the room and everyone has an opportunity to talk. Some people will pass, but at least they were given the chance — and didn’t have to interrupt you to get a word in.

Adapted from “How to Run a Meeting Without Talking Too Much,” by Art Markman

Stop Dominating the Conversation in Your Meetings