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11 Ways to Stop People Cutting You Off

We have all been interrupted before and know how incredibly annoying it can be.

People may cut you off for 4 reasons:

1) Impatience: someone is not listening and just wants to speak.

2) Lack of respect for you or your views.

3) Power: someone wants to gain control of the conversation.

4) You don’t capture the audience’s attention.

Why it’s a bad idea to interrupt someone:

• It’s rude and inconsiderate.
• It says “I’m not listening.”
• It puts people down.
• It negatively affects company culture & performance.

Is the intention always bad? No, sometimes people are excited and want to support you, and certain neurodivergent traits make it harder for some people not to interrupt.

Here are 11 ways to handle interruptions professionally:

#1 “May I finish?”

Allow for a brief pause, then continue by asking "may I finish?" or “do you mind if I finish?” and resume your conversation.

#2 Speak louder

Keep talking, just louder. Most interrupters stop.

#3 “Just to finish my thought...”

Keep talking and say “just to finish my thought...” to signal that you are almost done but won’t accept any interruptions.

#4 Wait for a break

Let the interrupter talk and wait for the next pause in the conversation. Then insert yourself back into the conversation by stating “continuing my thought from earlier.”

#5 Raise your hand

Keep talking and block the interruptor with your hand without looking at them. Once you are done, turn to them and ask for their views.

#6 “Are you finished?”

Engage with the interruptor. When they say “Yes, I am finished,” finish your own point, then address theirs.

#7 Develop superior speaking skills

Great communicators are rarely interrupted. They signal to the world: “Not with me.” Could you be more concise, tell better stories, and own the room?

#8 Ask for questions at the end

This works well for presentations. Invite the audience to ask questions at the end, but not in the middle of your talk.

#9 Confident body language

Stand straight with shoulders pulled back. Take up space and use confident hand gestures.

#10 Talk to the interrupter afterwards

You could say “I’m sure you didn’t do this on purpose, but you interrupted me in the meeting. I would appreciate it if you could try to be a bit more aware.”

#11 Have each other’s back

Team up to support each other by saying “please let her finish”.

Having these tactics up your sleeve will significantly reduce the number of times people interrupt you, because they don’t get away with it.

Leading with Positivity and Humor

Lubomila Jordanova is an Obama Leader, MIT Under 35 Innovator and the CEO & founder of Plan A as well as the co-founder of the Greentech Alliance. Together with her team, she helps 1500 businesses including many global brands become more sustainable.

In the latest episode, expect to learn how to create 100x partnerships, how companies can avoid accusations of greenwashing, and what kind of storytelling can be a catalyst for change.

At a more personal level, we also talk about humor and leadership, the books she recommends to her team, and what surprising thing Barack Obama said to her at their first meeting. Enjoy!

Listen on Spotify and Apple:

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5 Types of Stories Leaders Tell

“The Pin Drop Principle” is used to teach storytelling at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Leaders learn about stories because they help your audience understand, retain, and share your message.

The book reveals the five essential types of stories that an effective communicator should be prepared to share. Because “all great leaders are great storytellers.”

I explain the five essential types of stories in this post.

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Have an inspired weekend!

Best,

Oliver

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Whenever you’re ready, here are three things I can help you achieve so you can communicate like the world’s top CEOs:

1. Speak Like a CEO: Leadership communications with impact
2. Become Unignorable: The proven way to becoming a thought leader
3. Build a Message Machine: Turn your company into a well-oiled communications machine.

Book your free clarity call for 1:1 coaching with me here​.​

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