Getting Beyond the Talk-a-Lotters

Oftentimes in a meeting of several people, there will be at least one person who talks a lot. They will always have input into a topic, even if it’s not in their expertise and they will monopolize the discussion for their purposes. Why people do that is less important than how to reroute the discussion when it happens. There are two reasons the Talk-a-Lotters have to be corralled:

• To make the best decisions, there has to be a discussion that is relevant and contributes to the conversation. Too often, people just agree with the Talk-a-Lotter in order to get things moving, and the results are not as good (or they can be really bad) because the decision wasn’t made on the best available information.
• To encourage participation, each person has to feel that their input is valued. This is especially important in volunteer groups and committees. When the group becomes dominated by a single person or click, others will stop attending events or not participate to their fullest potential if they do attend.

When you want to benefit from the people around the table who have the best information to offer, you have to ensure the Talk-a-Lotters are corralled so you can mine that best advice. It’s not always an easy or comfortable task, but there are ways to do it respectfully. Here are three examples:

Have an Agenda

Whether you are in a casual meeting, a business discussion, or a formal situation, a meeting agenda is a good way to keep meetings on track and ensure participation across the board. It’s not enough to list the items on the agenda, but a time frame should also be included. The meeting leader can also allocate a person to address each item on the agenda, ensuring participation from all the members around the table. Have a “new business” section at the end so that if the Talk-a-Lotter starts monopolizing the conversation, it can be carried over until the end if there’s time after everyone else has been heard.

Sticking to the agenda will be important but you will have support from people who are again feeling like their participation matters. When the Talk-a-Lotter brings up points, ask them if they would like to research it further and bring back a report to the next meeting and you can put them under the new business category. Often you will find they don’t want to do that.

Hold Questions to the End

Many times, a Talk-a-Lotter interrupts to say something that would have eventually been answered if the individual in charge of that situation had been allowed to continue. In a meeting, ask that people hold their questions and comments to the end and then make some space within the time frame of the agenda to hear the comments and questions.

You may find the meeting goes more quickly with fewer interruptions as well.

Bring Concerns Forward

If a Talk-a-Lotter is impacting your participation in a meeting, let the meeting leader know that impact. This has two objectives.

First, the leader may have a way to solve the problem, and that makes the meeting better. Second, the leader will know that you likely have more contributions to provide if they’re interested. That can result in the meeting leader putting you on the next agenda or reaching out to you offline. Either way, you have a greater chance to participate.

Meeting Well is Marketing Well

Having a productive, well-run meeting that encourages participation from people who have much to offer can elevate your marketing goals and campaigns to a whole new level. When people feel engaged, they become ambassadors of your brand, and that makes want to contribute in multiple ways. This boost in morale can also overflow into positive hiring results as well, having an even greater impact than the purpose of the original meeting.

For a desk reference in good marketing, pick up a copy of Forward Thinking for Your Business. You can order today at Amazon US, and Amazon Canada, or contact Jennifer directly.

If you need to book consulting time with Jennifer, email her at [email protected] or call 613-312-7824.