Stop Rambling in Meetings — and Start Getting Your Message Across

It is important to know when and how to share your point of view in meetings. You don't want to dominate the conversation. The author offers practical tips for sharing the floor so that you can get your message across more effectively. Take some time to reflect after a meeting. If you feel like you have been sharing too much, look back and consider who else contributed. Do you know how much of the meeting you were speaking to was over people? Use other channels to share your ideas. Is it possible to keep a running list of your brilliant insights on your computer so you are better prepared to share them in the next meeting? Is it possible to share ideas in a follow-up email or internal chat platform? It is helpful to give yourself a signal to stop and practice. Insights into how you are meeting your goal of talking less and listening more can be provided by a trusted colleague or advisor.

Have you ever been in a strategic meeting and found yourself unable to remember anyone besides yourself sharing ideas or contributing input? Many leaders need to speak up. What if you have the same problem and you can't stop talking? Your team members become frustrated because they want to share their own ideas, and your manager becomes frustrated because they want to hear other viewpoints. Stakeholders lose patience with your habit of dominating the conversation and start to tune you out.