How to deal with people who take too long to get to the point?

Shaigan · 2016-01-27T00:47:51+00:00

"get to the point"

user_none · 2016-01-27T01:49:19+00:00

My go to for this is something that came from a middle school coach, whom was retired from the army.

His saying was, "A conversation is like a woman's dress; long enough to cover the subject and short enough to keep it interesting."

MentORPHEUS · 2016-01-27T02:11:03+00:00

A little humor maybe? "Hey, I heard there's a new support group for people who keep rambling when they talk. It's called On and On Anon."

On a more serious note, the longer someone gets to ramble, the more resistant they become to changing course. Introduce leading questions and interjections earlier than later when you see this pattern developing.

PragmaticRedTruth · 2016-01-27T00:45:41+00:00

If they're important in your life, you must game them. Co-workers/boss, family, etc.

If they're not, interrupt them with a change of subject by asking an intense question and holding frame. You could also say, "that reminds me, I gotta run." And then take off. Either way, by the time it's over, they'll forget or not even care about their topic. Proceed with your day.

drallcom3 · 2016-01-27T02:37:25+00:00

If it's your boss/superior: Be happy that he likes you that much.

In any other case: Go away (lame excuse optional). Why waste your time? Calling them out on it can also work, given the circumstances.

Title	How to deal with people who take too long to get to the point?
Author	awayofthought
Upvotes	7
Comments	5
Date	January 27, 2016 12:39 AM UTC (10 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/42uquq/how_to_deal_with_people_who_take_too_long_to_get/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/how-to-deal-with-people-who-take-too-long-to-get.159914 https://theredarchive.com/post/159914

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