Do You Often Get Interrupted or Spoken Over?

I hate it when I get interrupted or spoken over. Who doesn’t? Early in my consulting career, I had this issue all the time.

Internal meetings often can be chaotic, with consultants speaking quickly, loudly, and interrupting each other.

I found it challenging to keep up and assert my presence.

However, I recognized that I had to contribute if I wanted to have positive exposure to senior leadership.

Each time I attempted to do that, I found myself being interrupted or spoken over as if I wasn’t even present in the room.

This pattern happened again and again, and slowly damaged my confidence, to the point where remaining silent seemed like a safer option.

It must have looked really bad, having so much experience, at my age, and keeping silent during important meetings. I felt terrible all the time.

Kevin Hart’s advice

One day, while searching for tips on how to overcome this problem, I came across a video featuring the famous stand-up comedian Kevin Hart.

He shared his own experience of struggling with communication.

It surprised me that someone as upbeat and confident as Kevin Hart faced the same issues as I did.

He offered simple yet impactful advice that resonated with me.

Before speaking, he secured everyone's attention by saying something like, 'Listen, listen...' and pausing until he had eye contact with everyone.

Holding the pause, he created suspense and interest, making people more attentive.

He explained that if people miss the beginning of the joke, they wouldn’t understand the punch line. And nothing can be worse than telling a joke that people don’t laugh at.

Sounds like consulting. If clients and colleagues don’t understand what you are saying, you can’t make your point confidently.

I found this advice brilliant and immediately incorporated it into my approach.

Now, before saying anything, I always begin with phrases like, ‘May I ask you a question?’ or ‘May I suggest something?’ I then pause until everyone is listening.

This technique worked very well for me, boosting my confidence and ensuring that my ideas were heard.

It also helps to command control over the conversation in a non-aggressive but very assertive way.

I found it effective in various social settings, including small informal meetings, large presentations, and both online and offline discussions.

Try this in your daily work. Let me know how it worked for you.

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P.S.

I feel your pain.

As a consultant, I struggled to perform and faced an impossible situation with extremely high expectations and minimal support.

My life turned into relentless stress, pain, and anxiety. But I always suspected that there should be a better way.

All that pain was not necessary with the right support.

Nine years later, I designed the coaching program I desperately needed back then. Its sole focus is helping you excel and achieve high performance.

Only then can you build strong sponsorships, find great projects, and become confident.

If you are an MBB consultant and want to achieve high performance, please
Book a 1-1 Discovery Session.

Learn more about the Hero Journey coaching program.

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