My book club in Austin told me I talk too much during discussions

Last month, Sarah from our group pulled me aside and said, 'Diana, you're giving a full lecture every time someone mentions a character.' I realized I was basically doing a solo show instead of letting others share. Now I set a timer on my phone for 2 minutes when I start talking, and it's made our meetings way better. Anyone else get called out for dominating the chat?

2 comments

2 Comments

dylan_patel1mo ago

My friend Mark had the same problem at his board game night in Denver. He would explain every rule for ten minutes until his buddy finally said, "Mark, we just want to play." He started using a little sand timer from a game to limit his explanations. It felt silly at first, but now everyone gets more turns and has more fun. That timer trick really works for more than just book clubs.

ben4361mo agoTop Commenter

Oh man, that timer idea is so smart. It forces you to hit just the key points first. Like, you can't explain every single edge case in Monopoly, you just say "roll dice, move, buy stuff if you land on it." The real rules come up as you play. I've started doing this with work meetings too, giving myself two minutes to explain a new process instead of twenty. It cuts out all the rambling and people actually remember what you said.