Side conversations ruin meetings by destroying focus and fragmenting participation.
Here’s how to bring your meeting back on track when a side conversation starts.
Approach 1: Ask for cooperation
Start by asking everyone to cooperate. Look at the middle of the group (instead of at the people talking) and say:
“Excuse me (pause to gain everyone’s attention). I know all of your ideas are important. So, please let’s have one speaker at a time.”
“Excuse me. I’m having difficulty hearing what [contributing participant] is saying.”
“There seems to be a great deal of interest for this issue. Could we have just one speaker at a time?”
These statements diplomatically acknowledge that a side conversation is occurring without naming the participants or putting them on the spot. Hostile statements, such as: “Hey you! Stop that!” will create hard feelings that undermine your effectiveness as a leader.
Approach 2: Change the process
If side conversations continue, change the rules to make cooperation more convenient. For example, you could use a speaking...
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