I was sitting in my office with a client when she interrupted me mid-sentence. Again.
Lauren has a strong need to take control. We’d talked many times about her habit of interrupting, but nothing really stuck.
Without a word, I reached for my water glass and placed it between us. She gave me that “Okay, where’s this going?” look.
“I’m telling a story, and it’s moving in this direction.”
I slid the water glass slowly toward her.
“Then you interrupt with a question.”
I jerked the glass to the left.
“-and the whole thing shifts.”
“Now I have to reroute.”
I zigzagged the glass.
“When you interrupt, I lose my train of thought.”
I set the glass down.
It’s frustrating. Sometimes I wonder why bother talking if you’ve already decided where this conversation needs to go.”
Lauren stared at the glass, then at me.
“I get it.”
The Next Day
She texted me:
“Had a client meeting today. Kept seeing that glass moving whenever I wanted to jump in with questions. I used to literally sit on my hands to stop myself from interrupting. Not today. Ever since our conversation, I don’t feel that pressure. I stayed quiet. Got curious. Discovered things I never would’ve learned otherwise. Completely different experience.”
A single glass of water. No lecture. Just clarity.
The Question Timing Advantage
Interrupting with questions often hijacks conversations. When we jump in too soon, we:
- Derail the speaker’s train of thought
- Convey that our agenda matters more than theirs
- Miss crucial information they haven’t shared yet
When we wait until they finish, those same questions:
- Create space for deeper reflection
- Show genuine curiosity instead of control
- Reveal insights that would otherwise stay hidden
Try This 3-Step Experiment This Week
- Pause for three seconds after they finish speaking.
- Notice what surfaces in that space-for them and for you.
- Ask one smart question starting with “What…,” “How…,” or “Tell me more…”
Reflection Prompt
Where in your life might you need your own water glass moment?
Which conversations could transform if you paused to ask yourself: Am I moving the glass too soon?
Talk less. Learn more. Lead better.
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