Have you ever struggled to manage the “overtalkers” in your live sessions? 🤔
You may know the feeling…
You throw out a question. The usual suspect’s hand shoots up. No one else steps forward, so you give them the floor.
Before you know it they’ve hijacked the conversation.
You can feel your stress levels rising as you glance over at the clock knowing that you are way off topic and way over time. ⏱️
You know you need to interrupt but you can’t find the “right” moment to jump in.
Even through the Zoom screen you can feel the rest of the group getting impatient. Meanwhile, the overtalker continues…
Managing overtalkers can be tricky.
If this has happened to you, you are not alone. I stumbled through it for a long time. But then I started to see how participants felt undervalued (and rightfully annoyed!) when I didn’t step in.
Then I learned that overtalkers are often OK with being interrupted.
In their book Ask Powerful Questions, WiLL WiSE and Chad Littlefield say this about overtalkers:
Talkative people usually know they talk a lot. Most of them know that there is value in letting others share. They are simply well-practiced in talking.
So how do you manage the overtalkers effectively?
Here are 5 simple facilitation strategies that have transformed the way I manage overtalkers in my sessions👇
1️⃣Step Up/Step Back.
At the start of your session, encourage participants to self-assess. If they’re very comfortable sharing, ask them to consider “stepping back” to give others the chance to chime in. Invite quieter members to “step up” and share more. h/t Stef Turner.
2️⃣ Give clear instructions.
In the instructions set a time limit on how much airtime each group member gets upfront and let them know that you’ll interrupt when people go over time or off-topic because you want to hear from everyone.
3️⃣ Take responsibility.
If someone starts to go over time, assume that your instructions weren’t clear (because they probably weren’t:) Take responsibility, and clarify the instruction.
4️⃣ Interrupt effectively.
There are times when your group needs you to interrupt. I like to follow these steps adapted from “Ask Powerful Questions”:
- 🛑 Pause the speaker: “Let me pause you there…”
- 🪞 Summarize quickly: “You mentioned that…”
- 🤝 Acknowledge their point: “Thanks for that insight…”
- 🧭 Redirect or move on: “Let’s hear a different perspective (or move on)…”
5️⃣ Don’t apologize.
One of the best facilitators I know, Nadia Chaney, gave me this sage advice when it comes to interrupting:
👉Be as warm as possible. But NOT apologetic.
Getting good at managing overtalkers takes practice. And yes it can feel uncomfortable at first. But trust me, it’s 100% worth the effort. The more “reps” you put in, the stronger that muscle gets. 💪
Remember, as session leaders it’s our responsibility to guide the group to the best possible outcomes. This starts with making sure every group member has a chance to contribute.
Over to you! What’s one new tactic you could test out the next time you are faced with an overtalker? Hit reply to this email and let me know.
This Week’s Facilitator Finds 💪
In this section, you’ll find curated events, resources, tips, and tools worth checking out. This week the spotlight is on the brilliant Session Lab resources.
1/ 📚Session Lab’s State of Facilitation 2025 Report. This year’s report is packed with trends, insights, tools, and ways you can thrive in the future of facilitation. Read more insights and join the conversation on my LinkedIn post.
2/ ✍️Session Lab Report’s Top Newsletters: I am thrilled – and extremely honored – to be included in the “Top Newsletters” section of the report. Thank you for filling out the survey and naming The Quest! 👇
3/ Session Lab Report’s Top Facilitation Podcast list👇
Bonus: Session Lab’s free facilitation resource library with 1300+ activities and tools. 💪
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