Business English - Interrupting Politely and Holding the Floor

Activity 1: Let's Get Started! (Warm-up)

Why might you need to interrupt someone during a business meeting or conversation? When is it appropriate or inappropriate?
What challenges can arise when trying to interrupt politely or when trying to hold the floor (keep speaking)?
Can you recall a time someone interrupted effectively, or when someone successfully held the floor to make their point? What did they do?

Activity 2: New Words & Phrases (Vocabulary)

Let's explore some essential terms and phrases for interrupting politely and effectively holding the floor in discussions.

1. Interject (verb): To say something abruptly, especially as an aside or interruption.

Example: "If I may interject for a moment," she said, "I have some data that supports that point."

2. Pertinent (adjective): Relevant or applicable to a particular matter; apposite.

Example: Excuse me for interrupting, but I have a pertinent question regarding the budget allocation.

3. Concede (verb): To admit that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it; to yield or surrender (something).

Example: While I concede your point about the timeline, I still believe we need to consider the resource constraints.

4. If I could just jump in here (phrase): A polite way to signal your intention to interrupt and add a comment or question.

Example: If I could just jump in here, I think it's important to also discuss the potential risks involved.

5. Before you move on (phrase): Used to politely interrupt someone to ask a question or make a point about what they have just said, before they change the topic.

Example: Before you move on to the next slide, could I ask for clarification on that last statistic?

Activity 3: Reading - The Project Review Meeting

Read the following scenario about a team meeting where participants needed to interrupt and make their points effectively.

During a project review meeting, David, the project lead, was outlining the progress made in the last quarter. He was detailing the technical achievements when Maria, from the marketing team, realized a crucial marketing consideration hadn't been addressed. She waited for a slight pause in David's presentation.

"Excuse me, David, if I may interject for a moment?" Maria began politely. "Before you move on from the technical aspects, I have a pertinent question about how these new features will be communicated to our existing user base. Have we planned for that?" David paused and acknowledged her. "That's a very relevant point, Maria. Thank you for bringing it up." He then briefly addressed the marketing communication plan. Later, when discussing potential challenges, Ben started to suggest a solution that Liam felt was not feasible. Liam waited for Ben to finish his main thought, then said, "If I could just jump in here, Ben. While I concede that your idea has merit, I'm concerned about the technical resources required. We might need to explore alternatives." Liam then clearly explained his reasoning, holding the floor respectfully until he had made his point. The meeting continued productively, with team members effectively contributing by interrupting politely and ensuring their views were heard.

Comprehension Questions:

After reading the passage, answer the following questions:

Why did Maria feel the need to interrupt David during his presentation? How did she do it politely?
How did David respond to Maria's interruption?
Why did Liam interrupt Ben, and what phrases did he use to do so respectfully and then hold the floor?
What made the interruptions in this meeting effective rather than disruptive?

Activity 4: Role Play - Brainstorming Marketing Slogans

Read the following dialogue with a partner. One person can be Anna, and the other can be Tom, who are in a lively brainstorming session.

Anna: So, for the new eco-friendly product line, I was thinking of a slogan like "Green Today, Great Tomorrow." It’s simple, positive...

Tom: If I could just jump in here, Anna. I like the sentiment, but "Great Tomorrow" might be a bit vague. What if we focused more on the direct benefit?

Anna: That's a fair point. I was trying to convey long-term impact. What kind of direct benefit are you thinking of?

Tom: Well, perhaps something like "Naturally Powerful, Responsibly Made." It highlights both efficacy and ethics. Before you move on from that idea, though, I also wanted to suggest...

Anna: (Nodding) Okay, "Naturally Powerful, Responsibly Made"... I see where you're going. Let me just finish my thought on the "long-term impact" angle, if I may hold the floor for a second?

Tom: Of course, go ahead Anna.

Anna: Thanks. I was thinking that while direct benefits are good, the aspirational aspect also resonates with our target audience. However, I concede "Great Tomorrow" could be stronger. Your suggestion is pertinent.

Tom: Maybe we can combine them? "Eco-Smart: Powering Your Today, Protecting Your Tomorrow." If I may interject another thought, the word "Smart" also implies efficiency.

Anna: "Eco-Smart"... I like that! It’s concise and modern. Good point about "Smart."

Tom: Thanks! I think we're getting somewhere good by building on each other's ideas like this.

Discuss Together:

After reading or performing the dialogue, discuss the following with a partner:

What phrases did Tom and Anna use to interrupt each other politely?
How did Anna signal that she wanted to finish her point ("hold the floor")? Was it effective?

Activity 5: Let's Practice - Clarifying a Task in a Team Call

Objective: Practice interrupting politely and holding the floor using key vocabulary in a role-play setting.

Scenario: During a team video call, Kenji is explaining a complex task. Priya needs to interrupt to ask a question. Fill in their parts of the dialogue using vocabulary from Activity 2.

Kenji: "...so then you'll need to cross-reference the data from the Q3 sales report with the customer feedback logs, and then identify any discrepancies above a 5% threshold before compiling the summary..."

Priya: "Excuse me, Kenji, ? I have a question about the customer feedback logs you just mentioned."

Kenji: "Oh, sure Priya, go ahead. What's your question?"

Priya: "Thanks. to the specifics of the summary, are we using the old feedback log format or the new one that was rolled out last week?"

Kenji: "Ah, good question. We should be using the new format. I I should have specified that earlier. Does that clarify things for now, or did you have another point, Priya, before I continue explaining the summary compilation?"

Priya: "Yes, that clarifies the log format, thank you. And if I may one more quick thought, regarding the 5% threshold..."

Try to fill in the blanks with the correct words or phrases from Activity 2.