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I started putting a 15 minute timer on our book club's 'hot takes' round

Our group in Austin would get stuck for 45 minutes arguing about a single character's choice. Last month, I brought a kitchen timer and said we could only debate each person's hot take for 15 minutes max before moving on. It forced us to get to the point and we covered way more ground. We actually got through everyone's thoughts on 'The Midnight Library' in one meeting for once. How do other clubs keep discussions from going in circles?
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3 Comments
thea_mitchell20
That timer trick sounds like a lifesaver, and @thea857 has a point about using it for the whole thing. What happens when someone's 15 minutes are up but they still feel really strongly about their take? Do you just drop it forever or come back later?
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julia_miller24
Saw my friend get cut off mid-rant about movie endings last week. The timer went off and she just stopped talking, which felt weird at first. But later that night she texted the group chat with a much clearer version of her point. Giving it a break let her cool down and organize her thoughts way better. So yeah, dropping it in the moment doesn't mean dropping it forever. Coming back later often leads to a way more solid conversation.
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thea857
thea85721d ago
That timer idea is genius... we should try it for our whole meeting.
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