Stop the loudest one talking: part 2

If you’re tired of the loudest person in the room doing all the talking, this email is for you.  

It’s also for you if, like a few other readers, you asked me for more detail about the Speaking Clock I showed you in my video last week. 

So, back to the loudest person. There is usually at least one in every workshop. The person who jumps in and answers every question first. They may not be aware they are doing it. They are just quick, confident and used to filling silence.  

They do all the talking and others find it hard to be heard. Many tune out. 

© Jacinta Cubis 

I use the Speaking Clock to nip this in the bud or avoid it from the start.  

It shifts the room from whoever’s loudest to whoever’s next. 

Here’s how it works: 

1. Draw a circle and add numbers inside it, just like a clock.  

1. Write each person’s name around the edge, next to each number. 

1. Pick a direction. Ask the group, ‘clockwise or anti-clockwise?’ 

1. Choose who starts. It can be any number.  

1. Each person gets a set amount of time to talk, and when they’re done, they say the name of whoever’s next. 

1. Anyone can say ‘pass’ if they don’t want to speak.  

For a simple tool it has a big impact.  

I’m not the one who is deciding who speaks, the clock is. No one has to fight for airtime or defend it once they’ve got it. 

It’s my job to notice and navigate the dynamics of a group before it results in a quiet person’s brilliant idea remaining unsaid, or a decision made by whoever talked loudest.  

The Speaking Clock is just one of the ways that I fix this problem. It’s not for every discussion or big groups, but it can shift the conversation from whoever’s loudest to whoever’s next, without anyone feeling managed. 

Thanks for reading this far! 

Stay (fl)awesome!