The art of elegantly interrupting.

Way less than 2 minutes read.

The art of elegantly interrupting someone involves gentle timing and respectful language. You can’t just steam in and tell somebody to “Shut Up And Listen To Me” however, we have all felt like doing that at some stage. You need to pause someone smoothly, even if they have been rabbiting on for ages!

If they are rabbiting on there is a distinct chance that they have not and will not be listening to you. I had a great example this week when I started a conversation with somebody I had not met before. We chatted and he asked me where I originally came from, I got “North Somerset, in the South West of England” out of my mouth  then unprompted and tacked onto the end of my sentence, I got his life story. He had not asked his question to listen, he had asked it to tell me his story. Eventually, I made a gesture with my hand and said “Wow, what an interesting life you have had, can I tell you a little bit about my new project.” I acknowledged what he had said and steered him away gently.

Using polite cues like “May I add something?” or “May I just, share my perspective.” Acknowledge the flow before redirecting, saying, “That’s a really interesting point; I’d love to come back to it in a moment.” This might gently bring them back into a listening state. You could  ask empathetic questions like, “How are you feeling about this?” or “What’s resonating with you most?” This approach maintains respect, keeps the conversation flowing, and creates a collaborative atmosphere.