Interrupting Politely in Meetings

When you are amid a business meeting, there are various occasions where a need for interruption might arise. It may be to ask for an early departure or a necessity of further clarification on the subject.

People often abstain from interrupting because it comes across as rude to say, "I want to leave", or, "I didn't understand."

Additionally, it is never a bad idea to add your own thoughts when discussing any issue as it shows that you are actively participating with the client or the company, but only if you know how to intrude politely!

So here are a few things you can keep in mind when you need to interrupt during a meeting.

Tips and Tricks

1. Practice being a good listener. Make eye contact with the speaker. In case you are in a virtual meeting, look directly at the camera so your client knows that you are paying attention and are an active part of the discussion.
2. Listen to every word with the utmost attention. If you want to raise questions, it is important to understand the subject being discussed.
3. Do not interrupt amid a conversation. Wait for the client to take a break or when he finishes speaking.
4. Consider clicking on the raise hand option if you are in a virtual meeting. In case you have a face-to-face meet, try to demonstrate gestures that show you want to speak.
5. Always interrupt politely. Do not use words in a way that may sound condescending or rude.
6. Always be kind and gentle when interrupting the speaker. Accept that the confusion was from your side in case you want the speaker to rephrase their statement.
7. Do not forget to add words like "sorry", "pardon" or "please".
8. Check the tone of your voice. Remember the way you speak is as vital as the words you say.
9. Some interruptions enhance productivity in the conversations, while some simply lengthen them. Know the difference between the two.

Phrases

1. I am sorry to interrupt but I have to leave the meeting early.
2. I don't want to sound rude but may I interrupt?
3. Sorry for troubling you, but can you rephrase it so I can understand your point of view?
4. Excuse me, can I add a quick point here?
5. I am sorry for interrupting but may I add one of my ideas on this subject?
6. Pardon me for the interruption but may I say something?
7. I hate to interrupt but I have to be somewhere important. May I leave the meeting?
8. I hate to bother but I don't think I was able to comprehend it. Can you repeat it a little louder?
9. Excuse me for the interruption but can you clarify this point?
10. Sorry for the inconvenience but can we slow down a bit?
11. Sorry for the disturbance, could you please repeat the topic? I had some network issues.
12. I'm terribly sorry for interrupting but can you change the meeting time tomorrow?
13. I'm sorry for the trouble but can you extend the deadline?
14. I'm sorry for the interruption but I don't think I will be able to make it to the orientation tomorrow.
15. I regret to interrupt but can you provide more information about the project?
16. I apologize for interrupting but before we move on I would like to add something.
17. Sorry to jump in but I have a solution in mind.
18. I apologize for the disturbance but may I have a counterpoint here?
19. Excuse me, I had like to add something.
20. I apologize for the intrusion but do you mind giving a summary before we move on?

Keywords

1. Clarification– The act of making a statement less complicated to leave no room for confusion.
2. Subject– A thing or a topic that is being discussed or dealt with.
3. Intrude– Put oneself intentionally into a place or situation where one is unwelcomed or uninvited.
4. Virtual Meeting– A virtual meeting is simply a meeting that takes place online instead of the usual face-to-face meeting.
5. Client– A client of a professional person or company is a person or corporation that obtains service from them in return for payment.
6. Gestures– A movement of one of the parts of the body especially of the hand or the head to express a notion or meaning.
7. Politely– Speaking in a kind and respectful manner.
8. Condescending– Possessing or indicating an attitude of superiority.
9. Productivity–The effectiveness of productive effort or the state and quality of being productive.
10. Tone- A modulation of the voice signifying a certain emotion or mood.
11. Disturbance–The interruption of a settled and peaceful situation.
12. Deadline– The latest duration or date by which something should be finished.
13. Summary–A brief statement or account of the crucial points of something.
14. Orientation– Orientation is a process to familiarize newly hired employees with the company's policies and workings.
15. Counterpoint– Opinion that forms a pleasing or significant contrast to something else.
16. Program– A set of relevant measures or activities with a specific long-term objective.
17. Agenda– A list of contents to be discussed in the meeting.
18. Pertinent– Something which is relevant to a particular matter/situation.
19. Inconvenience– The state of causing trouble or difficulty to oneself or others.
20. Crucial- Something which is of a great importance.

Dialogues

A– Hi dear, I am A– I hope the points were clear to all the members. We will assign the topics next month.

B– I am sorry to interrupt but I have to leave the meeting early. I hope all the crucial topics are covered.

A– Yes, you can leave.

B– Thank you. Looking forward to working on the project.

A– Let us evaluate some of the examples related to the experiment.

B– I hate to break this up but I have to be somewhere important. May I leave the meeting?

A– Sure, no problem.

B– Thank you. It was a constructive meeting. Hope you have a wonderful day.

A–The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 2 pm.

B– I understand how important it is but I don't think I will be able to make it. Would you be so kind to send me the input?

A– It is okay. I will e-mail you the details related to the program.

B– That would be nice. I will surely go through it. Thank you so much for your kindness.

A– The deadline for the project is approaching. I hope everyone is working on it.

B– Excuse me for the inconvenience but can you please extend the deadline as I was unwell for the past few days.

A– Okay. Hope you are better now. Please notify me about the date of submission shortly.

B– Thank you! I will.

A– So, these are the themes we will be concentrating on for this program.

B– I regret to interrupt but can you provide me with more information about the program.

A– We will cover the extra details after the conclusion of the discussion.

B– Great! Thank you.

A– We expect more than 20 interns to be on board for the content creation.

B– I hate to bother but can you repeat it once again? I think my internet is slow.

A– We will hire 20 interns for the content.

B– Okay, we will see to it.

A– This is the key recommendation for our agenda.

B– Hey *client's name.* Excuse me for the interruption but may I add one of my suggestions?

A– This is the interface we have selected for the website. The team attempted to make it easy and understandable.

B– Pardon me for the interruption but may I add one of my ideas?

A– The recent project is not up to the mark. It requires minor changes.

B- I apologize for interrupting but can you clarify the changes required?

A– The new strategies have been finalized. This is deemed as the best plan of action for now.

B– I regret the intrusion but may I put in a  counterpoint here?

A– So, we conclude the issues around social media strategy. Any questions?

B– I apologize for interrupting but before we move on, I would like to add something.

A- Sure, go ahead.

B– Thanks, so I was saying that [……………….]. I hope my outlook proved to be productive for the team.