Filibustering

Techniques > Resisting persuasion > Filibustering

Method | Example | Discussion | See also

Method

Start talking and do not stop. Keep on going, especially when they try to butt in. Keep up a good speed of chatter to keep others out.

If they talk louder, you just raise your volume even higher. If they try to catch your eye, do not look at them or ignore their 'I want to talk' body signals.

It can help to talk about something relevant, but you can also digress if you cannot find anything useful to say.

If they do manage to grab the talking stick, then wrest it back off them and carry on filibustering until time runs out and you have made no useful commitment.

Example

In a meeting of the HR department, there is an agenda item to discuss the new recruitment policy. One HR consultant has not prepared for this, so he talks non-stop in the earlier items. The recruitment policy is bumped to the next meeting, at which the consultant is now prepared.

Discussion

This is a practice that is very common in politics where, in some parliaments, a bill has limited time for discussion. Filibustering thus prevents arguments against your viewpoint from being aired.

The same practice often happens in company meetings where one person will hold the floor more to stop others from speaking than to make any valid point.