WHAT TO SAY · BEHAVIOUR AND CONDUCT
How to tell an employee they talk too much in meetings
People who dominate meetings are often your most engaged team members. Keep the energy and change the effect: others stop contributing.
Before you start
- Note one or two meetings where it happened, and the effect.
The script
- OPEN WITH
[Name], I value how much you bring to our meetings, and I want to talk about one thing that would make you even more effective.
In [meeting], you spoke on most topics, and a few people did not say anything. I think they held back.
I would like to hear more from the quieter people. Could you try letting two others speak before you come in?
You could also help me by asking someone else what they think.
Replace the [brackets] with real details. Say it in your own words; the structure matters more than the exact wording.
If they say…
“Nobody else says anything.”
Sometimes that is because the space is already full. Let us try it for two weeks and see.
What to avoid
- Cutting them off in public as the first step.
- Labels like "you are too much".