You're leading a virtual team meeting. How do you address a team member who constantly interrupts others?
In the dance of virtual meetings, maintaining rhythm is key when someone starts stepping on toes with interruptions. Here's how to choreograph a respectful conversation:
- Establish ground rules at the start, such as using the 'raise hand' feature before speaking.
- Utilize the mute function judiciously to manage who speaks and when.
- Address the behavior privately, highlighting the value of everyone's contributions.
Curious about your strategies for managing interruptions during virtual meetings? Share your experiences.
You're leading a virtual team meeting. How do you address a team member who constantly interrupts others?
In the dance of virtual meetings, maintaining rhythm is key when someone starts stepping on toes with interruptions. Here's how to choreograph a respectful conversation:
- Establish ground rules at the start, such as using the 'raise hand' feature before speaking.
- Utilize the mute function judiciously to manage who speaks and when.
- Address the behavior privately, highlighting the value of everyone's contributions.
Curious about your strategies for managing interruptions during virtual meetings? Share your experiences.
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Managing interruptions in a virtual meeting can become tough. Here's the approach I usually follow to avoid the same: 1/ Call it out lightly: "Hey [Name], I love the enthusiasm, but let’s make sure everyone gets their turn. Hold that thought, I want to hear it right after [Other Person] finishes!" 2/ Set the ground rule: If it keeps happening, I’d say, "Let’s try a quick round-robin so everyone gets a chance.?" This keeps it collaborative, not confrontational. 3/ Address it 1:1: If it’s a pattern, I’d have a quick chat: "Your insights are solid, but let’s balance the space. A little pause can make your points even stronger."
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Set clear norms (ground rules) at the start. You can also use different activities, such as break out rooms, round robin, etc., to control interruptions. If that doesn't work, talk to the person privately during a break.
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Virtual meetings are no different from face-to-face meetings in this regard. It simply is the task of a team leader to create a meeting culture. If there is a single member who still keep interrupting others and does not follow the rules set to the meeting, muting his/hers microphone is a good way. However, often there is no need to such radical measures. It most often is more effective just say it out loud. "please do not interrupt others, let them speak, raise your hand and you will get your turn.". This is one occation, where I do not believe in very soft skills. Just say it out loud, and if that does not work, mute the mic.
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I'll start by sending a gentle, personalized message to the team member before the meeting, explaining that I want to ensure everyone has a chance to contribute and that I'll be using a new method to facilitate discussion. During the meeting, I'll introduce the "Traffic Light Method" to the team. I'll explain that when someone is speaking, their "light" is green, indicating they have the floor. If someone else wants to contribute, they can say "Yellow" to indicate they'd like to speak next. And if someone interrupts, I'll say "Red" and gently remind them to wait for their turn.
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Dealing with interruptions in virtual meetings can be frustrating! Setting clear rules and gently addressing it one-on-one is a great approach. I’ve found that calling on people by name also helps keep the conversation balanced.
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