... when you find yourself locked in a meeting with a blowhard. In my experience, the blowhard is the least effective member of any team. They talk and talk, and talk and talk. And seek to fulfill no other purpose other than to firmly assert themselves in the middle of something. A lot of times this thing they feel compelled to insert themselves into is moving along just fine without them. But of course, they couldn’t give less of a shit about this fact. Instead, they must pontificate, insult, assert, and simply assume to be the end all be all of anything and everything. It’s what they do.
If you are unlucky enough to find yourself in such a situation, I suggest this approach; listen, play nice, seek clarity, and reiterate the fact that you are going to keep things moving. If you’re feeling bold, you can, of course, thank him or her for wasting everyone’s time.
