5 Easy Ways to Handle Disruptions
1. Set Expectations at the Outset
Disruptions are part of life, part of business, and part of speaking English. If that’s the case, disruptions should not surprise us or throw us off. Rather, we should anticipate and plan for them. If you’d prefer to minimise disruptions, set clear expectations at the beginning, so that everybody can clearly understand your boundaries. Keep simple, something like:
“I value everyone’s input on this, and with that in mind, I’m going to ask you to hold your questions and comments until the end, so that we have enough time to address your thoughts.”
2. Address it head on
In every team, in every business, there will always be that one person that is a serial disruptor. Let’s face it, this person often ranges from an annoyance, to seriously frustrating. With this type of person, sugar-coating won’t work. With this person, you’re going to have to be direct. Don’t get me wrong, blunt doesn’t mean impolite – it’s a fine line. Try something like:
“Simon, I’d appreciate if you could let me finish my point. I value your input but would like to round off what I was saying before opening the floor.”
3. Go with the flow – stay curious and open
Now, you may not like this one, but let’s be honest – not all disruptions are necessarily bad. On the flipside, maybe that disruption is just what is needed – maybe it holds a great idea, maybe it holds a previously unseen potential threat to the business, perhaps it holds a great new insight. The key here is to stay curious to what is being said. Sometimes the best course of action is to go with the flow.
4. Let it slide. Keep going
A cousin of “go with the flow” is “let it slide”. Like the previous point, not all disruptions are disastrous. A little irritating, perhaps, but not all are worth your time or effort addressing. With different communication styles, some people get excited or caught up in the moment and their disruption is no more than active involvement (if a little unsolicited.) Is it really worth reprimanding someone in this instance? Is it worth creating tension or an atmosphere? Sometimes the best course of action is simply to let it slide.
5. Ask Questions
In the last couple of points, we’ve mentioned that some disruptions are not a bad thing. On the contrary, sometimes that are critical. Think about it – sometimes they are very well intentioned and contain an invaluable insight that another perspective has surfaced. In this case, we should be thankful. To leverage the disruption, it is imperative to ask questions. Be careful, we do not want to shut the speaker down or make them defensive. Instead, lead with curiosity:
“tell me more about that.”, “I’d love to hear more about that” or “I’m curious to know more.” Or sometimes, simple nudges will produce more information “go on...”, “sounds interesting...”.
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Which one are you going to implement the next time you are disrupted mid-speech?