A few years ago, I read a piece about a mom and dad trying to rid their daughter of an annoying habit. They knew approaching her directly would result in the kind of defensive spewing expected from your average teenager. So, they decided to take another approach.
The daughter came to dinner and a family conversation ensued. Each was telling a story about their day, but when the daughter spoke, her parents would intermittently, suddenly, and in unison…clap once.
The first time they did it, she stopped cold, her eyes begging an explanation. There was none, so she continued.
Clap!
There it was again. This time, she frowned and asked what was happening. Her parents acted as if she was hearing things, and after a few minutes of inquiry and denial, she returned to her story, and…
Clap!
Okay, this time, she got angry while her brother’s laughed hysterically and she demanded to know what was, like, happening…
Clap!
This is, like, ridiculous…
Clap!
OMG, you two are, like…
Clap!
The parents had long pointed out to their daughter that she had a tendency to overuse one particular word in her speech. Had they said it directly, she would have, like, denied it. Clapping each time she used the word, “Like” was the best way to shine a light on the subject. According to the story I read, they made their point.
My friend, Kelly Mallozzi, told me she had a similar experience when, after giving a presentation in a Toastmaster’s class, it was revealed how many times she had used “fractions” such as uh and um. She was stunned and had no idea.
No one is perfect and we all have an “um,” “ah,” “like,” or “ya know” we could do without. Do yourself a favor and ask your coworkers to be on the lookout for yours.
Trust me. It’s, like, wicked annoying and not helping you with your, like, sales.
Clap!
