How do you get someone to stop interrupting you mid-sentence?

Question

There are a few colleagues of mine who have a bad habit of interrupting everyone else before they can finish what they are saying. Possible reasons? Bad manners, impatience.... who knows? I find it really annoying especially when they misunderstand and get all worked up before I can finish what I'm telling them. To make things worse, they have really confrontational personalities.

Answer 1

hey if you find out, tell my kids ....wait they are interupting again, i have to go : )

Answer 2

I work in a call center. The most annoying people ever are the people that constantly interrupt! You'll literally be telling them the exact answer to the question that they asked and they will interrupt! And then when you finally ask them to let you finish, they go into an absolute uproar and say that you interrupted them! They start screaming for you to get your supervisor and then they act like a poor, innocent little child that just couldn't get out what they wanted to say. - Give me a break!!!!! Nine times out of ten, after the call is reviewed, it's clear that they were acting like rude little children and the supervisors know it! - If you want to be heard and get good customer service, then learn how to receive it, get some manners, act like a professional and SHUT UP!

Answer 3

This might be a tad drastic, but it will be demonstrative and they'll remember it, which may be the only way to get through to punks like them...next time they interrupt during a meeting, no matter where or who's in attendance, get up and walk away without saying a word...keep walking...when they find you and ask about it, tell them that if you're opinion isn't needed and they are just going to talk to themselves, then you'll stop wasting your time by having meetings with them...not the most polite way to handle it, but if they can take that kind of thing, it should illustrate the point...

Answer 4

It's a bad, bad habit! I am one of those people that interrupt others frequently. I do not do it cause I'm bad mannered, I did not grow up in the states, and in the culture i grew up in this is how everyone talks, it's part of the culture.
I do not do it to be rude, I actually do not realize that I'm interrupting the person. It's completely unintentional! I know what you are thinking "yeah right!". But it is true.
I'm trying to change my behavior but i'm finding it very challenging to do so, because as i said, i don't even know i'm doing it till it's too late, then i want to put my foot in my mouth.

Does anyone have suggestions for the person who is on the other side of this scenario, someone like me, how do I make myself pick up on these cues and stop interrupting people. It's becoming a big issue, i really want to change it.

Answer 5

It's a conversation. Bad manners and impatience have nothing to do with 'interruptions'.

It's a mark of confidence to be able to interract with people. Smile and keep your mouth open! Keep talking--listen to what other people say and add to it.

If the situation is professional, like a meeting, be louder or continue talking. A good manager will shut the other person up for you if you were the first to talk, unless you're just rambling or the other person's point is more valid. In that case it's a matter of intelligence--you've either got it or you don't and people are always going to gravitate to the more intelligent or valid point. If it's just a pissing match, confidence in your speech is about 75% of the battle.

Answer 6

Stop talking.
I mean you really can't...it's like a bad behavior. Maybe it's because they aren't listening, or maybe you are longwinded and in order to get their side in they feel the need to interrupt.

I say just stop mid sentence and let them talk. Eventually, I'm HOPING, that they will get the hint.

I'm sorry. I have this problem too. I eventually stop talking to those ppl.

Answer 7

You might have to make your point quicker or it's just their bad manners.

When they start to cut you off, just look at them with a big, cheesy, smile, raise your hand while they're talking, when they quit talking, start all over again with what you were originally saying.
When they find it annoying that you continuously smile at them, raise your hand while they are talking and then complete what you were originally saying, they will either ask you why you do that or they'll get the hint.

Answer 8

As they interrupted, I would say "excuse me, may I finish what I was saying, I think it's important." and I would say exactly that, exactly the same way each time. As they hear the exact same thing, in the same intonation repeatedly, it will become obvious to them that this is a bad habit that they have acquired and they should work to remedy it.

Answer 9

People who do this are more interested in what THEY have to say than in what someone else wants to say.

I usually, just stop talking and look at them and then say something like... OK... since you won't let me talk... you go ahead and say what Y0U want to say... and then you can let me finish.

These are adults who, as children, were never corrected by their parents for interrupting the adults when they were talking... so you are dealing with someone who has a child's mental level... act accordingly... but YOU need to be the ADULT in this situation

Answer 10

Eek... That is difficult. The most polite thing you can do is once they interrupt, continually say in a low tone of voice "May I finish?" over and over.

Good Luck

Answer 11

Just say, "Excuse me, could you please respect the fact that I am speaking and what until I am done to comment?"

If that doesn't work then sit back and give them a puzzled look. When they stop and ask what the look is for tell them "I could have sworn I was speaking before you rudely cut across me. What happened to your home training?"