Why You Keep Getting Interrupted — and How to Take Back Control
You’re mid-sentence in a meeting… and someone jumps in.
Again!!
It’s not because your idea wasn’t valuable.
It's because, during that brief pause, you unintentionally conceded the initiative.
The shocking part is that the room remained completely unaware of the incident.
But you did.
That moment you were building toward? Gone. Hijacked.
We've learnt that pausing is dangerous.
There’s this unspoken rule in fast-paced conversations:
If you don’t say it fast, you don’t get to say it at all.
That’s why we condense our thoughts, hasten our delivery, and compete for speaking time as if it's a scarce resource.
What is the significance of the silence that occurs between sentences?
It feels dangerous.
When you pause, someone else pounces.
Do people really listen when you speak?
Your voice should be your most powerful tool as a professional
Whether you're leading a meeting, delivering a presentation, or influencing a conversation, what you say and how you say it make the difference in making your point, getting what you want—or the opposite.
With this free assessment, you can test the powers of your communication to see how you could be cutting through with more impact and effectiveness.
- ✔ Identify possible communication blind spots
- ✔ Strengthen your confidence and delivery
- ✔ Command attention and influence with ease
Somewhere along the way, we absorbed the belief that speed = smart.
From schoolyard banter to boardroom debates, the pressure to keep up has shaped how we speak.
I remember it vividly — me and my two best mates in school would spend every break pitching comedy sketches, trying to one-up each other mid-sentence.
Wild Black Adder meets Monty Python chaos.
Back then, it was hilarious. But looking back now, I realise it forced me to fight for space. To speak fast, or not at all.
That habit doesn’t disappear when we grow up — it just wears a suit.
In meetings, interviews, and pitches — that same need to defend our voice shows up as rushed sentences, repeated points, or, worse, silence when we should be leading.
What happens when your role relies on clarity, confidence, and authority?
That scramble carries a cost.
The result?
You stop mid-thought and never return to it.
You tend to over-explain in order to avoid interruptions.
You feel frustrated or invisible — not because your ideas aren’t good, but because they never get fully heard.
And when it happens enough times, you stop showing up with the presence you’re capable of.
But here’s the truth:
Speed doesn’t equal clarity. Volume doesn’t equal authority.
It’s not the fastest thinker who gets remembered — it’s the one who speaks with presence.
The solution? Verbal buffering.
Verbal buffers are brief, deliberate sentences that maintain your position in a conversation without revealing your identity.
They’re not filler. They’re not noise. They’re structured.
They signal to your audience: I’m not finished — stay with me.
Here are five powerful verbal buffers you can start using right now:
“Before I continue…”
“Let me add one thing before we move on…”
“I want to pause here, but stay with me — this gets clearer…”
“There’s a second piece to this…”
“Just to finish that thought…”
Used well, these phrases reinforce your leadership. They protect your message and prevent hijacking—without you having to dominate the conversation.
And when you combine them with prosody — your pacing, tone, and vocal rhythm — you sound calm, assured, and in control.
Prosody is more than just decoration. It’s the music of your message—and it’s what helps others decide if you’re worth listening to.
This exercise isn’t about being louder.
It’s about speaking with rhythm, structure, and the space to be heard.
Verbal buffering isn’t just a speaking trick — it’s a leadership tool.
Whether you’re presenting, pitching, or podcasting, it gives you control without force. This approach allows you to cease interruptions and take charge of the conversation.
|