Dealing with a disruptive team member in meetings. How can you effectively address constant interruptions?

Listen to others! God gave you 2 ears and 1 mouth. Listen more, speak less…listen to other perspectives, add your two cents when needed. It’s not all about you.

Set Clear Meeting Guidelines: At the beginning of meetings, establish ground rules for participation, including respect for others’ speaking time. Reinforce these guidelines regularly.

I usually get paid to answer questions like this. 400$ an hour, to be precise. So… if the monkeys running LinkedIn want to step up with that, I will gladly drop some knowledge. ??????

1. Block the calendar for all the respective individuals necessary for the meeting. 2. Share the agenda for the meeting in advance. 3. Share the discussion points and clear ground rules for the meeting. 4. Define time for each discussion points 5. Let the chair make a note of all the meeting points. 6. Finally close the meeting with relevant outcomes and meeting closure and follow ups 7. If the meeting is getting off track, the chair of the meeting to be vocal and be assertive in communicating to park the points if not relevant.

Protecting a person's privacy when there are things to improve like being disruptive is very important to preserve trust and respect. Having a productive conversation that is both compassionate and genuine is essential to finding solutions. Open the communication with endearment, an understanding tone, and questions to spark connection. - How do you feel about our team? What do you think needs to happen to make our team more focused? (This places the colleague in a position of leadership) - What do you think about the disruptions happening amongst our team? Like this... "ie." or that..."ie.". Do you feel like you are part of these disruptions? (This will bring awareness and help the colleague to think about the challenge and their role)

Address the Behavior Privately: Speak with the team member one-on-one. Express your concerns about their interruptions and how it affects the team dynamics. Use “I” statements to describe the impact, like “I feel that the discussion gets sidetracked when interruptions happen.”

It is best to talk to your coworker on the down low. Explain the best ways to deal with the particular situation. They may have no idea. Remember, it’s not what you say but how you say it.

Whether it's a public one-on-one or a private one-on-one, what matters most is whether you're aware of the level of ego in your tone of voice. The disruptive team member can be addressed in a public one-on-one, but the manager needs to soft-pedal the home truths in a normal and no-nonsense neutral voice. As it is in the public, the manager needs to drop the use of "I" or "My" statements and instead choose "we" or "us" statements in telling the home truths to the disruptive member. The all-inclusive statements delivered with compassion and kindness will have a definite impact on the disruptive team-member.

I'd say that some pre-meeting work is in order. Why not set up an informal one on one chat with the person and spend time listening to them? They may be dealing with a serious pain point, have an urgent request or idea to share, or just may need gentle coaching in a team meeting environment.

Encourage Active Listening: Emphasize the importance of listening and understanding before responding. Consider introducing techniques like the "talking stick" to give everyone a chance to speak without interruptions. Utilize a Round-Robin Format: Implement a structured format where each person has a chance to speak in turn. This can help manage interruptions and ensure everyone feels heard.

Redirect Interruptions: If the team member interrupts, politely redirect the conversation by saying something like, “Let’s hold that thought for a moment and allow [another team member] to finish their point.” Acknowledge Contributions: If the disruptive member has valuable insights, acknowledge them when they do speak without interrupting. This may encourage them to be more mindful in the future.

Follow Up: After addressing the issue, check in with the team member later to see if there’s been any change. Provide positive reinforcement if they improve their behavior. Involve Leadership if Necessary: If the behavior continues despite your efforts, consider discussing the situation with a supervisor or HR to explore further action. Foster a Supportive Environment: Create a culture where team members feel safe sharing their thoughts. This can reduce the need for interruptions and promote respectful dialogue.

The most missing thing in meetings is listing. The chair usually lack it and repeatedly interept the participat in order to pressure. Similarly, the participants listen statements that suit them. So listen fairly!