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<html>
<head>
<script
async
src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-P9405HFNTS"
></script>
<script>
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
function gtag() {
dataLayer.push(arguments);
}
gtag("js", new Date());
gtag("config", "G-P9405HFNTS");
</script>
<meta charset="utf-8" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />
<title>Talk Less in Meetings</title>
</head>
<body>
<div style="max-width: 600px">
<p><a href="/">Home</a></p>
<h1>Talk Less in Meetings</h1>
<p>
My first manager noticed something I did unintentionally in meetings
early in my career. He told me I was quiet in meetings, but everyone
listened carefully on the rare occasions I spoke. He explained this was
a great trait: striving to be the most impactful person in the room, not
the loudest.
</p>
<p>
The truth is, I was probably either overwhelmed trying to absorb
information (I was a super junior engineer at the time) or nervous/shy
to speak whatever was on my mind. Nonetheless, my manager’s words have
stuck with me throughout my career.
</p>
<p>
The advice to focus on fewer, more impactful words is hard for some
people to hear, especially for those who equate more words to more
intelligence and influence. But there are two strong reasons why I think
that mindset is not optimal:
</p>
<p>
1. The longer you go without speaking, the more time you have to gain
context and think through your thoughts.
</p>
<p>
Raw thoughts are great during brainstorming sessions. However, in other
settings, they can derail the conversation and even cause the speaker to
confuse themselves. The longer you let thoughts in your mind sit, the
more well-formed and valuable they will be when they come out of your
mouth.
</p>
<p>
2. The more time you spend listening, the more you can learn from your
peers.
</p>
<p>
For this one, the adage “If you're the smartest person in the room,
you're in the wrong room” comes to mind. But I don’t think it’s ever
possible to be in “the wrong room.” It may be true that you can be the
most knowledgeable about a specific topic. Still, regardless of
experience or background, every person has the potential to contribute
novel ideas. In fact, sometimes the lack of experience is precisely what
you need for a fresh perspective to be discovered.
</p>
<p>
Along the same lines, I love the idea of treating everyone as your
“master” because that mindset will inevitably result in learning
something from anyone who shares ideas and asks questions. The problem
is, if you talk too much, you don’t allow those ideas and questions to
be shared.
</p>
<p>
The goal is not to remain silent but to strike a balance between
speaking and listening. If you have a great idea, don’t hesitate to
share it. But if you walk away from a meeting feeling like you dominated
the conversation, there’s a good chance the entire group missed out on
something great.
</p>
</div>
</body>
</html>