A couple of Sundays ago, the Pastor of my church bravely gathered the children to have a discussion on the meaning of Christmas. I say bravely because you never know what children will do or say when given the opportunity. In this case, there was one very enthusiastic little girl. She positioned herself directly in front of the Pastor so she could not be missed. She raised her hand to answer every question, even before the question was asked. Children are eager this way. They want to participate and be involved in the process. Because this discussion was only 15 minutes or so, the audience found it humorous and she was quite the center of attention. Now, add 20 years to her age and place her in a meeting room. Would she be as amusing and entertaining?
How many times have you been in a meeting or a classroom with the someone like this? This is the person who feels obligated to build on or restate every other comment. This is the person who makes a comment even when they have no value to add. They feel compelled to let everyone in the room know they are there. While this type of behavior may work for a short time, in the long run it can be detrimental. While in some settings, it is important to verbally contribute to ensure people know who you are, it should not be the norm. Feeling as if you have to comment to make the idea better is often counterproductive. An effective leader and team player allows others equal opportunity to share their ideas and insights.
I found a great quote by Scott Sorrell, a professional sales trainer, that I plan to use in my new book.
"If you’d think 1% more, you’d speak 50% less, and appear 100% more intelligent."
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