Holding the Floor
How to Handle Interruptions
In the lead up to the last US election, a vice-presidential debate was held between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence.
The ground rules for the debate included a two minute time period in which participants could respond to the question posed by the host without interruption by the opposing candidate.
Within the first 10 minutes however this guideline was thrown out the window. Pence interrupted Harris for the first time and went on to interrupt her ten times throughout the debate (Harris also interrupted Pence however did so half as many times).
Being interrupted when you are speaking is common - you've probably experienced it yourself.
Sometimes people interrupt because they agree with you and are excited to contribute, while at other times, they may disagree, jump in with an opposing view and throw you off track.
Either way, interruptions mean you risk losing the floor and when you do, your influence declines. Your point may be hijacked, not heard, dismissed or ignored.
Knowing how to handle interruptions effectively is therefore a useful skill to help you hold the floor, own the space and grow your influence.
During the debate, Harris highlighted how to do this beautifully with one simple sentence. When Pence interrupted her she said:
"Excuse Mr Vice-President, I'm speaking."
She didn’t lose her cool, raise her voice or get overly emotional by saying:
Can’t you see I’m still talking? Or
You keep interrupting me! Can’t you keep your mouth shut while I speak? Or
Stop jumping in before I've finished!
Rather, by gesturing with her hand, turning her head and looking directly at Pence and saying “I’m speaking”, she held the floor, continued with her point and stood in her power.
You may like to try it next time you’re interrupted.
“Excuse me XXX. I’m speaking.”
It’s a simple declarative statement that speaks volumes.
You can view Harris in action and see the effectiveness of this strategy in this 30 second video.
Try it and see how you go - I'd love to hear from you if you do.