Are You a Conversation Hijacker?
I just met someone and I wanted to punch him in the face. Yep. I know. I shouldn’t be that way, but this guy really drove me nuts. Here’s the scene: I’m sitting at lunch with a fascinating guy I had just met a short time before. Successful businessman, innovative thinker, great teacher. The conversation was very focused and really interesting.
But as we talked, a friend of his walked up, so we invited him to sit down. Immediately, this friend jumped into the conversation taking it in an entirely new direction. And every time we tried to get back to our original train of thought, the hijacker would interrupt with a new thought and spin it off again. The guy was a total jerk – completely uninterested in what we’d been saying before he’d arrived. It got so bad we finally had to drop our conversation altogether.
Don’t be that guy. When you’re invited into someone else’s conversation, consider that a gift. Be nice and listen long enough to see what’s happening first. Don’t just jump into another conversation and interrupt that momentum.
Because if you do, I promise, you’ll get punched.
Phil Cooke, PhD. has been called “one of the most innovative communicators of our generation.” As a media producer, writer, speaker, and consultant, his client list includes major film studios and TV networks as well as major Christian organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, The Museum of the Bible, The Salvation Army, and others. He’s also coached and consulted with many of the most influential churches and nonprofit organizations in the world, helping them use media to tell their story. You can hear his podcast here.
