You're two sentences into your point when someone else takes the floor. They reframe it slightly, the room nods, and the moment moves on. You've read this situation before, and already know which kind of interrupter you're dealing with. This is your opportunity to respond strategically and showcase your leadership skills.

Every workplace has one. Maybe it's the colleague who talks over your proposal like you weren't already speaking. Or could be a senior leader who finishes your sentences and then accepts the credit when they land. 

The interruption dynamic is common in many workplaces, but it can also be a springboard to confidence if you play it right. Use these responses to take back the mic before the hand ends. 

Read the Table and Respond to Interruptions Strategically

On the felt, position is everything. Where you sit relative to the other players, as well as what information you have and what's already been signaled, shape every decision you make. The same logic applies here.

Before you form your strategy, read the room. Because the type of interrupter you're dealing with completely changes the move you need to make.

1. The Unaware Interrupter

This person genuinely doesn't know they're doing it. They're enthusiastic, someone who thinks out loud and talks fast. It's likely they'd be embarrassed to learn they keep cutting people off. Which is exactly why it's worth telling them.

The good news: direct, friendly feedback in the moment is usually all it takes. Keep the energy light — you're not calling them out, you're simply reclaiming your turn. Something like: "Hold on — I want to finish this thought before we move on." That's it. No heat, NBD.  

The mistake here is going too soft. "Oh, sorry, continue..." — said while visibly retreating — tells your interrupter (and everyone else watching) that the floor was up for grabs. Instead, speak up and hold your position as you intended.

2. The Competitive Interrupter

This one may be pointed. The cut-in is often a power move designed to establish who controls the conversation, particularly in front of an audience. The interruption may be information-gathering. Once they get a read on your response, they know exactly how far they can go.

Back at the poker table, this position would give you useful information. It’s not the person who acts first, but those who watch and wait that control the pace of play. This same dynamic, how you carry yourself in the moment after an interruption, tells the room something important. 

Before you speak, slow down. The player who rushes to fill silence is the one who’s more likely to lose their leverage. Take a breath, hold steady, and redirect: "I wasn't quite finished — let me land this first." Then do it.

What you don't want to do is match the competitive energy directly. Getting louder, talking faster, or speaking over them in return confirms that this is a competition. You're not competing, nor is this a negotiation. You're holding your position. That distinction is what changes the dynamic.

3. The Hierarchical Interrupter

The trickiest read at the table. This is usually a boss, senior stakeholder, or someone whose title makes it feel like you're not supposed to push back. There's real risk here, and pretending otherwise won't help you play it well.

The move with someone more senior rarely works in the moment — before the meeting and after it is where you have the most room to maneuver. Try signaling what you need ahead of time: "I have a few things I need to walk through, but I'll be sure to open it up for discussion once I've finished laying out our options." Most people in positions of power respond well to a clear agenda.

After the meeting is where the real work happens. A well-timed follow-up message or a direct one-on-one conversation — something that names the pattern without making it a confrontation — is the move that shifts the dynamic over time. It may take longer, but it’s also more likely to hold.

Your Move

Here's what holds across all three types: the tell you give before you've even said a word matters just as much as your response. When you sense an interruption coming, the instinct is to rush — speak faster, trim the detail, get to the point before someone takes it from you. 

Instead, move with the knowledge that your voice deserves its full airtime. Say the thing, take up space, and play your hand like you know what it’s worth — because you do.