think tank forum

it takes dedication and quite a bit of work.

can you think of one particular thing to consider changing?

I'm working on interaction with a mid-size group of people during a conversation. I feel more comfortable or skilled on a small 1-2 person basis as far as small talk, but I suck at 3-8 sized small talks.

working on it.

you?

im still working on biting my nails. been trying to stop for almost 2 years now.

dp, i'm with you. i'm utterly horrible at large group situations (anything above 2-3 people), and i actually shy away from them in general. it hasn't affected me too badly yet.

i'm not shy really
but i don't like talking over people
or being boisterous and loud
or interrupting

but I would like to take up opportunities when it's appropriate to tell a decent story and execute one fully to a group. I think I get caught up in the details of the external things happening and the interaction of the group and trip up a lot about the actual plot and importance of the story.

just one example!

i'm not shy either. in fact i would say i'm pretty outgoing. or at least i have a very loud voice

my problem in big groups is that 1. interrupting 2. the general character of the discussion tends to decline

i'm not sure how to fix it though, any ideas?

could you specify what you mean by character of the discussion?

if you're having a one-on-one discussion about something you're both interested in, adding five more people generally forces the conversation to a different topic that everyone can relate to. while i'm not saying all universal topics are uninteresting, the vast majority are.

Paying attention to the tone of my voice when talking to others and listening.

> Paying attention to the tone of my voice when talking to others and listening.

me too

ahh ... waking up late.

dp. maybe toastmasters, I have the same difficulty, perhaps if I was awesome in front of crowds then I would also be awesome in front of 5 people (sorry syntax originally)

I could use some work on the talking in large groups thing. or just being more assertive and putting my opinion out there more. if I have an idea (I'm thinking of this in a work setting) or something that I think is valuable to say (this would be more of a classroom setting) I usually just convince myself that no one will get what I'm saying and it will be worthless to speak up. or that it's not my place to say anything. but then I think, "how am I going to get anywhere in the world not being assertive?" and kind of regret it.

workin' on it.