Imagine a time before zoom conference calls. Yes, a time before we were boxed in boxes on a laptop screen. A time before Covid-19 (I smile and sigh at the thought). Imagine a time before PowerPoint presentations. A time before cellphones. A time before even phones where you had to physically ‘dial’ a number. A time before cars. Before roads, even. Keep time-travelling with me. We have reached a time before the invention of the wheel. We are now with our ancestors huddled around a crackling fire, under a brightly-lit night sky. The topic is where to travel next. North? East? A unshaven man points to the hills beyond the forest. Someone else, to the valley down below. A woman just keeps shaking her head. Yes. We are witnessing one of the first meetings of mankind.
Over the millenia, when it comes to meetings, not much has changed. Meetings still go on and on – at times aimlessly. Your colleague makes an irrelevant point. X dominates the discussion (as usual). You want to say something important, but what do you do? Do you just blurt it out? How can you intervene effectively?
When intervening during a meeting (online or offline), it is a good idea to use phrases signalling that you have something to say. These phrases act as a bridge between your point and the discussion at hand.
So, if you need to interrupt the speaker, you can say: ‘Excuse me, I would like to make a point.‘ When all eyes are turned to you, make your point. Similarily you can say: ‘Sorry to interrupt.‘ Or you can start with the person’s name. ‘Anand. If I could just stop you there.‘
There are times when you have a perspective/opinion/fact that builds on what is being discussed. To introduce your point, you can say: ‘I’d like to add …‘ or ‘And in addition, there is also this fact…‘ Americans say, ‘I would like to piggyback on what John just said.’
In your next meeting, pay attention to how people interrupt each other. Do they just start speaking? Or do they begin with a phrase (such as Excuse me…) ?
How you intervene is influenced by the work culture in your office. If it is reasonably informal, then you could say, ‘I’d like to add...’ On the other hand, if it is more formal, then it would be better to say, ‘Excuse me, may I say something?‘
Also, think about where your fellow participants are from. When speaking with Americans, it may be alright to say, ‘I’d like to piggyback on what X said.‘ But if the participants are from India, they may not understand what you are saying!
I remember a day in my very first corporate training assignment – an MNC in Gurgaon, a place near New Delhi. We were practising how to speak effectively in a meeting. Sitting in two rooms, the participants had a mock conference call amongst themselves. They used phrases such as the ones we have looked at. There was a noticeable difference when they made interventions using these phrases. Everyone sounded more confident. More in control. More professional.
I’m confident that when you start using these phrases you will notice the difference. The next time you are in a meeting, and you are itching to say something, use one of the phrases we have looked at. You can mix and match the words from different phrases. See what works for you.
Now that you are aware of some phrases for meetings, be alert when people use similar phrases. If you like them, go ahead and steal the words. Use them in your next meeting. Our distant ancestors around that fire would have done the same thing.
amalfabian 