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How can I get someone I know to stop interrupting the whole time?
I get incredibly annoyed at people interrupting me when I am talking - especially when their interjections are not cogent and barely coherent. I have passed the comment before now asking them if they would not mind interrupting me the whole time, but it appears not to register with them. Recently the case in hand came to me cap in hand begging for me to help him find employment. I got him an interview with a friend who phoned me afterwards saying that had he not interrupted the whole time and not seemed to listen to what she was saying, she would have considered employing him. Any suggestions less than tarring and feathering him, to get him to realise he is not helping himself and is offending those people who are trying to help him?
5 Answers
- Anonymous1 decade agoFavourite answer
I hate to say it, but upbringing plays an important role in this type of behavior. Children have to be taught how to have a conversation. In school, we are allowed to speak only after being acknowledged, and if we want to be acknowledged, we have to raise our hand. This works in a disciplined setting, but it doesn't teach children how to politely converse. Parents must teach the children the rules of polite conversation, active listening skills, and proper and improper communication. It sounds as if your friend was not taught the importance of verbal interraction. Because of this, his understanding of how to communicate consists of speaking only, never listening to others. When someone else is talking, he isn't listening. He is just impatiently waiting to speak, and when he has no more patience, he just interrupts.
I hate to say it, but in order for his behavior to change, you have to change your behavior when he does this to you. When he interrupts you, listen politely, and then say, "Do you realize you interrupted me, again"? Don't move on until he acknowledges it. Make it the issue, and the only issue up for discussion. Let him know that he is sending the signal that he isn't interested in anything you have to say, and that you feel insulted by his behavior. He will probably make excuses at first, but when you let him know that his own behavior cost him a job, he might reevaluate himself. In the meantime, every time he interrupts, stop the conversation, and every time he waits his turn, thank him for the nice chat. Positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. It works.
- 1 decade ago
tell them to listen to you till you are finished speaking.. and that you find it incredibly rude.. also tell him about the job opportunity he missed by interrupting.. be sincere and genuinely concern when talking to him.. let him know you will help him break this habit..
- 1 decade ago
Tell them they lost an oppourtunity because they didn't listen...and that this was something you told them they needed to work on.
