People often interrupted me at McKinsey
New consultants often struggle with speaking up in leadership meetings. This is especially difficult for introverts. Learn one simple trick to deal with frequent interruptions.
People often interrupted me at McKinsey.
I hated it so much. Who wouldn’t?
Naturally, I struggled to speak up as an introvert. And when I finally built up the courage to say something, someone louder would jump in.
Arghhh!!!
I felt embarrassed, frustrated, and demotivated. My confidence was shattered.
But in MBB consulting, being silent is dangerous. You simply can’t grow well.
At some point, partners and managers will give you feedback that you need to speak up and become more visible.
Why does it happen?
I had this one bad habit.
I used to speak just to the room, without addressing anyone specifically, even while others were still talking.
People missed my first words. They didn’t understand what I was saying. And it was easy to interrupt me.
One day, I stumbled on a Kevin Hart interview. You know, the famous stand-up comedian. He shared a simple but effective tip.
Before speaking, he’d say:
“Listen! Listen!” and pause.
This way, he grabbed everyone’s attention. Then he paused to create suspense. Only then did he deliver his jokes.
I loved this trick.
I thought that if comedians need to grab their audience's attention to land jokes, we consultants can borrow this trick to land our ideas.
Now, before I make a point, I always say:
- “May I ask you a question?”
- “Can I suggest something?”
Then I pause.
And I always address the leader in the room.
Why? That’s how our social dynamics work. If the leader is listening, others will also pay attention.
Only then do I make my point.
That small trick reduced the number of interruptions. More importantly, it made me feel more in control. People understood my ideas better. My confidence improved significantly.
Of course, one trick is not enough for you to speak confidently in leadership meetings. There are other tips and tricks you can use to become a more confident and effective communicator. If you want to learn them, read my post on this topic:
Do you struggle to speak up in leadership meetings?
If you’re an MBB consultant and want to improve your performance and become a confident consultant.
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P.S. Speaking up in leadership meetings is often a function of confidence. But confidence is a function of performance and reputation. So, the main lever for you to improve your confidence and speaking skills is to radically improve your performance and problem-solving. It’s counterintuitive, but that’s the most effective way to solve your issues.