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My manager told me I talk too much in meetings, now I script everything
She literally said 'you ramble' and it stung but she was right. I started writing down three bullet points before every call. Now I get through my updates in 2 minutes instead of 7 and people actually listen. Has anyone else had to change a big habit because of feedback like that?
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emery1991mo ago
Nah, scripting everything is a trap. I've seen people do it and they sound like they're reading a hostage note. Bullet points are the way to go because they keep you on track but still let you sound like a human. Your manager's feedback was a gift, even if it sucked to hear. Now you're actually effective instead of just filling space. Don't overcorrect and lose your personality though. That's how you end up with people thinking you're a robot.
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grantmartinez1mo ago
Three bullet points is exactly the right fix for rambling. My old boss used to say I was "painting the whole house when they just wanted a doorknob" and it took me a while to realize he meant I was giving way too much background context. I started timing myself too and found that if I can't explain my point in under 90 seconds it probably isn't that important to the meeting. One thing though, if you script everything you might come off as stiff or rehearsed which can make people think you're hiding something. Keep the bullets but don't memorize a whole speech because then you lose the natural back and forth thats actually useful in meetings.
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