“It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much.” Yogi Berra
Chatty Cathy was a doll sold by Mattel Toys in the early 1960s. It had a pull string and it would utter a variety of phrases. Its popularity led to several other versions of pull string dolls and to Mattel’s See ‘n Say. Remember that toy? “The cow says moo!” I digress. Go here if you really desire to learn more about Chatty Cathy. Or go here if you want more beyond what I share below.
For our purposes, Chatty Cathy is a name given to a person who can talk the leg off a chair. Do you lead one? I’m talking about the type of person who, for whatever reason, can go on and on and on sharing an idea, making a point, or responding to a question. Sometimes it is quite impressive but mostly it is annoying and challenging to manage. It poses a leadership dilemma. To be a good leader, you must be a good listener but you also have to be loyal to other people’s (and your) time and efficiency. What then can be done about Chatty Cathy? Here are my thoughts...
