Loud Talkers

As I was typing up my post yesterday, I was sitting beside another group of people having a meeting.  Within that group was a loud talker.  Now hey, I can get a little ruckus myself once in awhile, but he was seriously loud.  No loud loud.  Like you want to runaway flailing and yelling so you can't hear him loud. 

And to be honest, I can deal with eavesdropping on a loud talker, but when the topic is completely boring, throw me a bone.  I was so bored listening in, that I truly have no clue how the rest of the people in the meeting faked being awake.  There is no possible way they could have been interested in hearing about how this dude's foot problem was hampering his ability to teach - I kid you not that was the topic.  They were trying to re-organize a budget for his dry land training clinic (based on lack of teenage attendee's) because they were not meeting budget.  That's a hard one... boring loud talker with foot scabies.  Like come on.  You could pick any other teacher scenario and you would have more kids show up.  Grandma with alzheimers but good feet - totally fun.  Large man with small neck and tight shorts - laugh a minute.  Skinny dude with hairy arms who only speaks in haiku - beautiful.  Seriously, they would all succeed.  But no, that would be mean to tell foot rash loud speaker boy that people would rather be stuck in a confined space with someone farting uncontrollably than hear him describe running around cones.

One friend of someone at the table (Chris apparently) stopped by, got asked to join the meeting (it was getting ugly by this point), and declined so fast that he literally vanished.  Did not see him leave the coffee shop.  Gone. 
As I scrounged for me headphones, which I found after 3 long minutes of pure panic, it lead me to consider how I have strived to develop the skill of fierce conversations.  The "what are you thinking but not saying" type of conversations.  Susan Scott author of the book "Fierce Conversations," describes them as this: 

"A Fierce Conversation is one in which we come out from behind ourselves, into the conversation, and make it real."

When you develop the skill of that type of conversation, it not only is inspiring for both parties, it becomes a point of refreshment for you.  As I was learning this, one of my former co-workers exhorted me to "always do the hardest things first."  Whether it was the beginning of the week or the work day, always make the hardest phone call, the hardest decision, or the toughest meeting a priority.  We waste so much time and energy mulling the scenario's over, assuming, considering the 'what if's' - all things that are out of your control.  I am still learning that lesson, but it has been a rich process.

So if you are lagging on a phone call you have to make or sitting in a meeting with megaphone boy, fierce it up.