I’m not really the best at verbal communication. Almost positive that I might have some kind of cognitive/speech issue, but that’s another story for another day.
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Not being very verbal makes work anxiety-inducing and awkward for me. I almost never contribute in meetings, can’t hold much of a conversation, and I feel like I have to rely on my boss a lot to lead discussions. I feel like I’m “that weird girl that sits in the corner.” And I understand it’s harder to approach quiet/introverted people, and that getting very little response just doubles that difficulty. But I never know what to say to them. Or how to form my sentences. All of my interests (knitting/crochet, art, cartoons, etc.) clash heavily with theirs (sports, cars, home repair, etc.), so I have no middle ground to really approach them on. All I can do is be nice, smile, give funny little responses, and hope they don’t think too low of me.
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I don’t know if there’s a way to become more talkative, but this is just how I’ve always been. I can only think of a small handful of people that I can talk to for hours on end.
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Does this happen to anyone else? Has anyone felt like this and had the ability to overcome it?
2 comments
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A conversation is a negotiation. You’re trying to find out if there’s something you can talk about with this person.
It usually initially starts with the weather. Then moves on to sports or maybe entertainment – music if you’re younger. Find out what they do, where they’re from, any hobbies or favorite activities. Chances are you’ll hit on something you can talk about. If not, give up, excuse yourself and go find another victim.