I noticed that it is not uncommon in our company for people to interrupt each other during meetings.

17 Comments

1. AnonymousApril 8,2024 at 4:54PM UTC

   Set the expectations upfront at the beginning of the meeting. Take Control as a leader.

2. AnonymousApril 8,2024 at 5:21PM UTC

   So is it a company thing or an individual thing? If it's common culture in the company, that would drive me crazy! If it's specific individuals and I am the presenter I would either continue or I would wait patiently for them to have their say, maybe not even acknowledge their contribution and then continue on with my presentation. Unless it was a particularly good comment/insight/correction.

3. AnonymousApril 8,2024 at 5:23PM UTC

   Oh this one gets me!! I always have the facilitator set expectations if we know we have "interruptors" in the session. I also have no problem when someone cuts another off and I become the interruptor and state very nicely on the first offense "Person A, I do not think Person B was finished with their thought, let's give them a moment and then we can hear from you" just like a kindergarten teacher would do. Normally that only needs to happen once to bring the offender back into reality that is is everyones meeting not just theirs.

4. AnonymousApril 8,2024 at 5:33PM UTC

   Ugh happens all the time!

   If you are interrupted, say "thank you for that comment/question/thought... Let me get through this part and I will address it when I finish." OR "We can address that comment/question/thought here in a moment, please 'persons name' continue..."

   You can ask them to write any questions down and discuss them at the end of the meeting too.

5. AnonymousApril 9,2024 at 2:24AM UTC

   I was ALWAYS interrupted by people (colleagues, not supervisors) that had better ideas.
   Maybe they are better, but why must I be interrupted?

   Not saying they didn't have valid points, but I didn't get the opportunity to speak when it was my turn.

   Unfortunately, I'd just get quiet. Usually when supervisor won't defend me, why waste my breath?

6. GirlBossanova934974April 9,2024 at 1:01PM UTC

   All depends on the type of meeting you are dealing with......Formal or informal? Informal meetings of 10-15 minutes are often idea sessions or brief progress updates. In my view, interruptions are just fine as long as people are not screaming over the top of each other. WHAT you do NOT want is sidebar meetings going on during the meeting. That cannot be allowed. Formal meetings are different. You should have an AGENDA for each person to get their couple of minutes etc.. Presenters should instruct their audience to hold comments until the end AND make sure they reserve enough time for questions.

7. Peter EdelsonApril 9,2024 at 1:06PM UTC

   I would kick off the meeting with an appropriately phrased non-threatening / non-combative "Your time is valuable - I'd like to get this meeting streamlined to get you guys time in your day back. So let's be sure we hear each other's full thoughts since everyone has such valuable input and I don't want to miss anything." Even suggesting that you are taking notes [and have a notebook] so it's easier for you to keep up and record them effectively.

8. Cynthia TrivellaApril 9,2024 at 3:15PM UTC

   Being a valuable contributor in a meeting isn't something that comes easily to many people.

   It's being a good communicator, which falls under the umbrella of soft skills. In a company environment, soft skills often take a backseat to the hard skills we are expected to have to fulfill our job duties. Add in the mix, the introverts and extroverts in the room. The introverts want to listen and speak when the timing calls for it, but can be spoken over by the extroverts at the meeting duking it out for whose voice will be heard.

   As someone who is proud to say she is an introvert, I have learned a few things about meetings and how to ensure my thoughts get heard. First, I don't try to outspeak the extroverts, because that's an exercise in futility. When they are speaking I listen but don't make eye contact. That body language sends the subtle message that I'm not finding value in what they're saying. (Truth be told, I am interested, but I let my body language set the stage.) When I do speak, I start with a question that oftentimes gets people staring and unsure of how to respond. I do this purposefully as the question leads into what I want to contribute to the conversation, so in essence it allows me to contribute and bring value.

   These are communication tips I learned from some smart people who helped me navigate through my first job out of college. I continue to find them valuable.

9. DVDgoddessApril 10,2024 at 12:37PM UTC

   Can I give this one two more upvotes?

10. Cynthia TrivellaApril 10,2024 at 5:58PM UTC

    Thank you.

11. AnonymousApril 10,2024 at 2:01PM UTC

    Thanks Cynthia, could you give an example of your starting question? Thanks!

12. Cynthia TrivellaApril 10,2024 at 5:58PM UTC

    It's a question that opens the door to what I want to say, so the questions will vary and be specific to each meeting. For example, I attended a meeting recently where everyone at the table discussed how colleges need to get their curriculum better aligned with the needs of today's business world. Everyone at the table who was talking only mentioned "hard skills" and what is needed for people to do a better job at work. When they exhausted that conversation, I saw an opening and asked how colleges can address the soft skills needed in today's business environment. Their blank stares and silence opened the door for me to address this, which opened a new stream of discussion that people thanked me for at the end of the meeting.

13. Daniela PardoApril 9,2024 at 6:19PM UTC

    Some cultures have a wait approach, some an interruption approach, and some a pause one. In my company, we use the hand raise on Zoom.

    Regardless, you can always say, "If you don’t mind, I haven’t finished my point.” or listen to the interrupter, then smile and continue, “As I was saying…"

    If you are a facilitator, it is easier because you can always say, "X, do you want to finish your point?"

14. AnonymousApril 10,2024 at 12:54PM UTC

    It depends. You call it interrupting. They may call it give-and-take. I feel more comfortable in that kind of atmosphere, and the "no-interrupt" cultures bore me to tears. People take advantage of that and bloviate to the point that I want to rip my eyes out. A series of monologues is not a team meeting. The important thing is - are people really listening to each other? Are the interruptions adding something or derailing the agenda? Is one person dominating? Do you come to a good conclusion with this style of interaction? If it works, don't fix it. If you're not getting stuff done, just interrupt the interrupters when the agenda flies out the window.

15. AnonymousApril 10,2024 at 5:15PM UTC

    Yes, set ground rules for speakers and how questions or interrupts happen.
    Be sure that everyone is aware of this before the meetings. Set time limits for speakers. Professional courtesy is to hear someone out on their opinion and what they have to say and once they finish you can hold Q&A or commentary to the end of the meeting or during. Might suggest if you use something like slack or notetaking that the interrupts get put into a stream there and get reviewed after the meeting with follow ups. Then no one gets offended by not being heard or interrupted while speaking.

16. Queen SmallsApril 11,2024 at 1:10PM UTC

    This is common everywhere.

    If you’re yapping give them a chance to talk, which I doubt is the case if you’re facilitating. If they’re yapping say, “please let me finish my thought,” or if you see someone has been interrupted say to the interrupter, “Thanks for sharing. Let’s hear [Amy] out and come right back to you.”

17. Liz MilneApril 12,2024 at 10:29PM UTC

    I'm a terrible interrupter: one of my colleagues has taken to waving a finger at me and saying, 'Shut the F- up, Liz!' :D (It sounds terrible, but really we get on well, it's become something of a private joke - I know nuance isn't rendered well like this)

    I don't recommend that, however!

    It's a hard one: if they'll allow you to reclaim the conversation, do that; if they just get louder, remove yourself from contention (like, sit down, leave the room, close your presentation etc) - something to make it clear that you're not going to fight with a bully; if they constantly ask questions about what you're talking about, say something like, 'I'll answer all questions at the end: please let me finish what I'm saying as that might answer some of your concerns.'

    Something like that?