What to do if…There is Cross Talk or Dominance
What is cross talk?
Shares not focusing on your own experience may constitute cross talk, including comments in support of or opinions in response to another person’s share. Such responses are not sharing your experience; they are offering your view of others in the room. Even positive comments to one share implies that other shares were not worthy of such a comment.
Some groups use the below paragraph from OA “What is Cross Talk?” in their meeting scripts.
“As you share your experience and strength in OA, please also share your hope. Please confine your sharing to your experience with the disease of compulsive eating, the solution offered by OA and your own recovery from the disease, rather than just the events of the day or week. If you are having difficulties, share how you use the program to deal with them. If you need to talk more about your difficulties and seek solutions, we suggest you speak to your sponsor and other members after the meeting.”
Discouraging cross talk provides the freedom in OA to say what is difficult to express elsewhere.
It is especially difficult not to respond immediately to a member in pain. After the meeting, an encouraging comment, or sharing your contact information with the person is the best expression of support.
Interruptions or questions are also considered cross talk. These may disrupt the meeting and deny the speaker adequate opportunity to share. To prevent this, many groups ask members to raise their hands for recognition before sharing.
Dominance occurs when one member controls most aspects of the meeting, often including a lack of service rotation or resistance to any change. Such circumstances can normally be addressed at a Group Conscience meeting. If there are no Group Conscience meetings, it is difficult for members to influence these practices. (OA Strong Meeting Checklist).
You are not alone. Foot Steps provides more than just Zoom platforms; we also offer support to our members when problems like this occur. The Report a Problem form allows you to inform Foot Steps leadership of such problems so they can take action.