“Were you expecting me to jump in?” he asked, a look of genuine surprise on his face. He went on to describe the situation as he saw it. “In this room,” he said, turning to M. and Mme. Bernard, “Erin is the chairman of the meeting.” He continued: As she is the senior person in the room, I wait for her to call on me. And, while I am waiting, I should show I am a good listener by keeping both my voice and my body quiet. In China, we often feel Westerners speak up so much in meetings that they do this to show off, or they are poor listeners. Also, I have noticed that Chinese people leave a few
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This perspective from Bo is very helpful to hear out loud as I’ve experienced this in several meetings over the past decade.
Americans and especially workers at start up companies often talk over each other with frenetic energy.
Understanding each persons role and when it makes sense to chime in is a proper lesson in restraint and staying focused.
