Meetings: interruptions

Introduction
In business meetings it is sometimes
necessary to interrupt a speaker. This is possible but it should be done politely. We'll be looking at some ways you can do this.


Imagine that you are in a meeting, and you want to interrupt to ask a question or make a comment. How might you do it?


Joko: First of all, the book re-launch. I just wanted to remind everybody that we will be re-launching the fairy-tales range with new modern covers, and that this is going to happen at the beginning of next month. It's important that we get this right and there have been quite a few…

Usman: Actually Mr. Joko, can I just ask you – sorry to hold the meeting up – can I ask you about those dates, because I thought that this was going to be published the month after next, and I understand that everybody has got their dates, but I do feel quite strongly that we’re bringing this out too soon.

Joko: Well, any other thoughts before I comment on that?
Ani: I don’t think we’ve got any choice at all about it. If the radio programs are going out at the beginning of next month, we’ve got to launch the book at the same time if we’re going to have any sales impact.

Useful Phrases:
First of all
Can I just ask you?
Sorry to hold the meeting up
I do feel quite strongly that…
Pardon me for interrupting, but…..
Excuse me, may I interrupt for a moment?
May I take a comment on that?

Politeness
If you are interrupting or disagreeing with people, it is even more important to be polite: your views are more likely to be respected if you present them in a professional and non-confrontational (non-argumentative) way.

There are several ways to make what you say sound more polite and less confrontational:
Use 'can' or 'could'. 
‘Joko, can I just ask you…?'
'If you could go through them in order…'
Both expressions above are more polite than simply saying 'I want to know…' or 'Go through them in order…'

Use 'would like'
'…I'd like to be with other editors…'
'I would like to be able to show her drawings…'
This sounds much more polite than 'I want…'

Say 'sorry'
'I'm sorry, but I really strongly disagree…'
'Sorry to hold the meeting up'
This is a very common way to 'soften' what you say. The speakers above are not really apologizing for what they say - using 'sorry' is telling the listener: 'I'm going to say or do something you might not like, so please don’t get upset'.

Use 'just'
'I just wanted to see…'
‘Sir, can I just ask you…?'
The word 'just' gives the listener a message that you are not asking them to deal with something difficult or time-consuming; that it is not going to be a problem.  

Use 'I think' or 'I feel'
'I do feel quite strongly that we're bringing this out too soon…'
'I don’t think we’ve got any choice…'
These phrases have the effect of softening what they are saying, by presenting their ideas as opinions, not orders or instructions.

Acknowledge people
'Okay everybody, ….'
'…as you can see…'
'Yeah Sir, ….'
It's important to acknowledge the other people in the meeting, by using their names, or words like 'you', 'we', 'everybody', 'my colleagues' etc. If you don’t use these words and expressions, you may give people the impression that you are rather detached and/or authoritarian.