Have you ever led a meeting that got sidetracked by a participant who was long-winded? How about when there is a loud echo or feedback and no one can be heard over the noise? These are just two common examples of ways meetings get off track. It’s frustrating for both the participants and the leader. Here’s how to get your derailed meeting back on track.

The power of “pause”

The most effective way to handle these issues is to use the word “pause.” Saying “pause” allows you to quickly interrupt and address the issue, but not appear rude.

When someone is rambling

Let’s say you have a participant who is long-winded and taking up too much time. You need a strategy that will allow you to interrupt without offending them.

What to say:
“Bob, please pause for a moment. You’re making some interesting points. Can you sum up your ideas in one sentence?”

Once he makes a summary sentence, say:
“Thank you. I appreciate hearing your thoughts, Bob. Does anyone else have anything to add?”

Using “pause” with background noise

There is nothing worse than the screeching sound of feedback or echoes during a call. Frequently it happens because someone called from a mobile device, but sometimes other technology issues can cause it. Regardless of the reason, it’s critical that you address it as quickly as possible.

Here is how to do that:
“Everyone, please pause. Hang up your phone and dial back in so we can resume without this noise.”

This strategy normally takes care of the unwelcome noise, and you can continue.

Another way to deal with the noise is to mute each person individually to discover which line is noisy,

This is how you handle that scenario:
“Please pause, everyone. I am going to individually mute everyone’s line to identify which phone is the source of the noise.”

Pro tip: When using this approach, start with muting the last person who called in to see if that resolves the issue. If it does, say this:

“Mary, you are on mute right now and the noise completely disappeared. Please hang up and call back in using a landline or your computer mic/speaker rather than your cell phone. Thank you!”

Setting the stage for “pause”

The leader must set the stage for this strategy to be effective. It is critical that the ground rules are laid out so the participants know what to expect before the start of any meeting. You can send that ahead of time with your agenda, or go over a short list of housekeeping at the start of the call (or both, to really reinforce the concept!)

Here are some things to include:

• Arrive on time
• Call in from a landline or use computer mic/speaker
• If you hear the word “Pause”, please stop speaking. The word “Pause” is only used when there is an issue the meeting leader needs to address quickly
• Only speak when asked to
• Be respectful when others are speaking, and wait your turn
• Come prepared, and contribute to finding solutions

Become comfortable with using the word “Pause” and you’ll always know how to get your derailed meeting back on track!