One of your colleagues interrupts you in the middle of a presentation. You pause, address the question, and continue with your point — until they interrupt again. All of us have known colleagues who seem unable to let us finish a sentence. What can you do to stop the rude behavior? Try preempting them. Before you start talking, preview what you plan to say and stipulate when it’s OK to break in. You might say, “There are a lot of different pieces to this explanation, so please bear with me. I want to tell you the entire story, and then I want to get your thoughts on specific details.” This type of preview may stop the interrupter before they start. If the interruptions continue, speak to the person in private. Give the interrupter the benefit of the doubt; they may not realize how their behavior seems to you. Explain what you’ve observed and for how long, and explain how it affects you (and others, if appropriate). This kind of straight talk, when framed constructively, is an effective way to get results.
Credit: HBR
