stage's core coaching skills include a module on curiosity + active listening for #lawyers and #legalmarketing teams. Understanding a client's communication and listening style is imperative for the client to feel understood and, more importantly, heard. But what if you think you are showing enthusiasm and excitement, but in reality, you are interrupting?

Enter the work of linguist Deborah Tannen. She discusses listening approaches in her book, "Conversational Style."

This topic also resurfaced after a TikTok video discussed the conversational differences between regions (New Yorkers versus everywhere else). Inc. Magazine published a piece on this topic, stating, "Your professional conversations will go better if you understand different people view interruptions differently."

Even at stage, we are regrounding ourselves in our conversation approaches. We have three different principals in three different cities, and we are applying our learnings and realizations internally and passing along those learnings to others.

"Interrupters" can fall into the conversational style category of "cooperative overlapping" the intent of "cooperative overlap" isn't to silence or disrespect your conversation partner. It signals enthusiasm and interest in what the person is saying, which works amazingly when you're talking to someone who shares this conversational style. But when an overlapper meets a person more accustomed to viewing any interruption as rude? Misunderstandings and even conflict can occur. Not a great look for understanding the client.

So, if you are a cooperative overlapper, how can you better communicate with others?

Be present and observe. If you notice that your conversation partner isn't responding well to your chiming in (e.g., they stop talking or seem uncomfortable), try expressing your engagement in non-verbal cues instead, like nodding. If you do overlap (aka interrupt), acknowledge it, then encourage the other person to continue talking.

What is your conversational style?