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Watched my book club go from chaos to calm in one meeting...
My book club in Phoenix used to be a total mess. People would talk over each other, we'd veer off topic for 30 minutes about someone's new job. Last month I suggested we try a simple timer system. We gave each person 5 minutes to share their thoughts on the chapter, no interruptions. Everyone got a turn and we actually finished discussing the symbolism in the first two acts of "Hamlet" for once. The whole meeting wrapped up in 45 minutes instead of our usual 2 hours. Has anyone else found a simple rule that saved their book club dynamic?
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black.jake1mo ago
Started using a shared google doc before meetings so everyone jots down their big thoughts ahead of time.
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the_diana1mo ago
Our group had the same exact problem. What fixed it for us was a rule I call "no summarizing." Everyone gets to ask ONE question about the book, that's it. No long winded explanations of what you already think. You just raise your point and someone else has to answer it. Keeps people from monologuing. We also set a hard stop at 45 minutes. When people know the clock is ticking they actually talk faster. I double the timer system works great for bigger groups too.
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theagibson1mo ago
Oh man, that "no summarizing" rule is genius! I've sat through too many book clubs where one person basically gives a full lecture and everyone else just nods. The question thing forces people to actually engage instead of just waiting their turn to talk. And yeah, 45 minute hard stop is a must. Once people know they only have that window, they suddenly get to the point way faster. The timer idea works because it keeps everyone accountable without someone having to play referee.
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