They exist in almost every team.
People who talk a lot. Not from ego. Not from dominance.
But because they think while they speak.
In meetings, they're often the first to react. They fill pauses. They drive conversations forward.
And at some point, something strange happens.
Everyone knows it's too much. But nobody says anything.
Because how do you interrupt someone who's engaged? Who means well? Who obviously wants to contribute?
So you let it run.
The second, quieter problem
While one person talks, something else happens.
Half an ear listens. Eyes wander to the second screen. Emails get answered. “Just getting some real work done.”
Not from disrespect. But from a silent calculation.
This meeting will drag on. It will drift. And I won't be needed here.
Multitasking becomes a survival strategy.
Outwardly, everyone sits in the room. Inwardly, some are already elsewhere.
The silent imbalance
Outwardly, the meeting seems lively. Many words. Many thoughts. Much movement.
Inwardly, something else happens.
Some check out. Others wait for a gap that never comes. Some stop forming their thoughts at all.
Not because they have nothing to say. But because they realize the space is already filled.
The overthinker becomes the problem. But nobody wants to make them the problem.
The moment that changes everything
Then something unexpected happened in a meeting.
Next to the discussion, a timer was running. Large. Visible. For everyone.
Five minutes per topic.
No comment about it. No explanation. No warning.
Just time passing.
After three minutes, the same person was still talking. Then a quick glance at the timer. A pause.
“I'll get to the point,” they said themselves.
Nobody had interrupted them. Nobody had stopped them.
The timer had done it.
Why visible time works
Time is neutral. It doesn't judge. It doesn't criticize.
A visible timer shifts responsibility.
Not the facilitator stops. Not the team intervenes. But the framework speaks.
Overthinkers suddenly notice how much space they're taking. Quiet voices see that space is limited but fair. And those with half an ear notice it's worth listening again.
Time creates clarity without assigning blame.
Structure instead of social conflict
Without time limits, talking quickly becomes personal. With time limits, it becomes factual.
That's the difference.
Meetings don't need acts of courage where someone stops the overthinker. They need rules that apply to everyone.
When time is visible, something rare emerges. Self-regulation.
People correct themselves. Conversations become more precise. Thoughts clearer.
Not because someone facilitates better. But because the framework is right.
Maybe it's not the overthinker
Maybe it's not the person who talks too much. But a meeting that provides no structure.
No beginning. No end. No shared rhythm.
A visible timer isn't a control element. It's a promise.
Everyone gets space. But not unlimited. And not at the expense of others.
And sometimes that's exactly what it takes so nobody believes the real work happens elsewhere anymore.
That's exactly why we integrated the timebox directly into the meeting format at Grounds Up. Not as coercion, but as structure that supports. Try it out – no setup, no registration.