What Happened
Getting interrupted or talked over in meetings is a frustrating reality for many professionals, especially when the people doing it hold more organizational power. Recent coverage highlights a growing conversation about what to do when senior executives cut you off, redirect attention, or simply act as if you haven't spoken. The problem isn't just rude behavior. It's a communication crisis that most people handle badly.
This is exactly the kind of scenario I break down in Say It Right Every Time. The chapter on high-pressure speaking environments gives you a framework for reading the room's power dynamics before you speak, so you're not reacting to being dismissed but actively preventing it. The techniques there are built specifically for moments when the stakes are high and the audience is skeptical or distracted.
Never Be Lost
for Words Again
Get word‑for‑word scripts for the conversations that shape your life, from job interviews and negotiations to difficult talks with family and partners, so you always know exactly what to say and how to say it.
Never Be Lost
for Words Again
Get word‑for‑word scripts for the conversations that shape your life, from job interviews and negotiations to difficult talks with family and partners, so you always know exactly what to say and how to say it.
Key Takeaway
Before your next high-stakes meeting, write down your single most important point and craft your opening sentence for it. That sentence should state the stakes, not your opinion. Instead of "I think we should reconsider the timeline," try "The current timeline creates a compliance risk we haven't priced in." Lead with consequence. Executives pay attention to risk and cost. That one sentence is your insurance against being talked over.
