My big weakness? I have a tendency to ramble.
Give me an article and I can write it out concisely for you after a few revisions, but ask me to speak spontaneously? I can’t edit words in mid-air like I do on a Word doc. My coherent ideas and content simply dissolve into a verbal stream of consciousness.
Even worse, during interviews, I do a verbal scramble when I’m put on the spot. My mind races, words get tangled, and what I want to say just gets blurted out without much thought. In fact, the idea of thinking on my feet is more akin to stumbling on my own tongue.
I vividly remember it wasn’t like this last time.
I have an explanation – in our hyper-digital world, we’re constantly bombarded with notifications, open tabs, and the endless scroll. Our brains are now trained for quick consumption and rapid task-switching.
While this has its benefits, it can hinder deep thinking and focused articulation. When one is trying to convey a complex idea or answer a challenging question, this mental clutter can turn your thoughts into a jumbled mess.
The most common comments in post-interview feedback were how “answers could be more structured” or “could have gotten more to the point”.
It felt like a polite way of saying, “We didn’t quite get what you were trying to say.”
And they were right.
I really did try to by using the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) method, but it just wasn’t enough.
A Simple Revelation
All that changed when a friend (thanks Pearlyn!) recommended me to bring in a pen and paper.
I tried out this method during my most recent interview.
The difference was remarkable. It allowed me to:
- Organise my thoughts: Before speaking, I could see the flow of my answer, ensuring I hit all the key points in a logical order.
- Stay concise: The act of writing forced me to distill my ideas, cutting out the extraneous details that often lead to rambling.
- Boost confidence: Having a clear outline in front of me reduced my anxiety and allowed me to speak with more authority and less hesitation.
My answers were clearer, more structured, and I felt infinitely more in control.
Upon researching more, I realised this was actually quite similar to the Feynman Technique. With this technique, you simply take a blank sheet of paper, write the name of the concept, and then explain it in your own words to a 12-year-old.
Forcing yourself to articulate things in simple language exposes whether or not you truly understand a concept, or whether you’re simply using jargon.
In a world that constantly pushes us towards more complex solutions, sometimes the most effective tools are the ones we’ve always had within reach.
What about you? Do you have a simple, “old-school” method that’s made a big difference in your life?
Always Yours,
Val