In previous years, I emphasized that working a lot is not a skill, highlighting the importance of productivity and efficiency. On the other hand, nowadays, we see that talking a lot is not a skill either. The saying "The mirror of deeds, not words" is precisely for this reason.
People may fall into the misconception that they will be more effective by saying something beautiful and impactful in long and numerous sentences. This can be especially observed among politicians. Explaining a topic, bringing clarity to a subject, or correcting a misunderstanding is, of course, necessary. However, lawyers, with the demeanor of a courtroom, elaborating on a 5-10 minute issue for 1-2 hours, both diminishes the importance of the subject for the listening party and weakens the power in the perception intended to be created over time. Smart leaders who understand this respond with 1-2 sentences after others finish talking, decisively concluding discussions that could have lasted for hours.
The second point is continually talking about the same subject, as if the results, references, values, positive and negative returns, etc., are not already clear and ready to be expressed, falling into repetition and losing effectiveness in front of the audience. We can encounter this in every aspect of our society. Overcoming this situation requires a bit of an analytical approach. Without going into the contrasts between engineers and verbalists, clear, effective, and understandable shorter answers always remain better in the listener's mind and enhance the desired impact. Sometimes, even a different action can be more effective than talking. While not a good example, in terms of communication, Hitler's waiting silently on the podium for 5 minutes until the crowd, which was talking among themselves enthusiastically, became completely silent, is an example of this.
Therefore, conveying a subject to the other party by giving the necessary references, examples, concrete results, etc., without falling into the illusion that our effectiveness on the other side and the increase in the intended perception will be achieved by talking a lot, can yield better results. When we consolidate this by allocating more time to doing the actual work, total productivity and quality will increase. Talking excessively or only talking is not action but a waste of time!
Dr. Bilinç Dolmacı
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