I’m sure all of you have been there. When you’re in meetings, you’re faced with the dilemma - should I interrupt this person and express my concern / question / opinion now, or should I wait till the end and risk losing the train of thought and the point I was trying to make.
Here’s a start, assess the experience of the group in the business or organization. If everyone is a veteran, chances are its best to wait till the end. Here’s a tactic to prevent yourself from forgetting your point though; keep a totem with yourself (yes, just like inception, a pen, a chess piece etc.), and doodle with it (besides, there’s positive effects to doodling anyways) and as soon as you feel the urge to ask a question, write it down, move on and continue to listen carefully. Chances are that the presenter / speaker will land exactly where the question is appropriate for asking or will say something like – “any questions so far?”.
That would be the best time to ask because you don’t come off as someone who interjects every statement the presenter makes and dominates the conversation, but also as someone who respects everyone else’s time.
On the flip side, if the team has the same experience or knowledge base, then perhaps its best to interrupt before everyone comes to the final conclusion point.
Here’s a start, assess the experience of the group in the business or organization. If everyone is a veteran, chances are its best to wait till the end. Here’s a tactic to prevent yourself from forgetting your point though; keep a totem with yourself (yes, just like inception, a pen, a chess piece etc.), and doodle with it (besides, there’s positive effects to doodling anyways) and as soon as you feel the urge to ask a question, write it down, move on and continue to listen carefully. Chances are that the presenter / speaker will land exactly where the question is appropriate for asking or will say something like – “any questions so far?”.
That would be the best time to ask because you don’t come off as someone who interjects every statement the presenter makes and dominates the conversation, but also as someone who respects everyone else’s time.
On the flip side, if the team has the same experience or knowledge base, then perhaps its best to interrupt before everyone comes to the final conclusion point.
If it’s a one-on-one meeting, the person across the table from you probably can read your face and see whether you get it or not.
The interruption dilemma is something everyone faces and unfortunately, every group of people you will work with will have a different style, so perhaps the best solution is to ask what your team prefers. Until then, I’ll leave you to decide whether you should interrupt, or not.
The interruption dilemma is something everyone faces and unfortunately, every group of people you will work with will have a different style, so perhaps the best solution is to ask what your team prefers. Until then, I’ll leave you to decide whether you should interrupt, or not.
