Learn how to use the word “jellyfish” to keep meeting discussions from drifting. Our team likes this concept knowing how easy it is to stray off topic in meetings, sales calls and general conversation.
Source: Harvard Business Review, April 8, 2016.
The conversation begins, but after 10 minutes of good discussion on the first agenda item, someone goes off on a tangent that, while interesting, is only marginally related to the designated topic. Then another person jumps in to elaborate, and the two start talking in detail about issues relevant only to them. Other attendees begin to tune out. Now 20 minutes have passed — and you haven’t made any progress.