Interrupting

Interrupting can be an act of service. It’s the choice to cut through the noise, not out of impatience or control, but out of commitment to truth and transformation. In coaching, interrupting means having the courage to stop a client mid-story or mid-analysis and direct their attention to what truly matters.

Many clients come to coaching well-versed in the art of reporting: the retelling of events, the describing of situations, the narrating of what others have done. While this can provide context, it can also serve as a distraction or defense mechanism, keeping the conversation safe and surface level. When we interrupt with care and precision, we pierce through the surface and bring the client back to themselves.

Interrupting requires presence, intuition, and trust, both in the relationship and in what is emerging. A well-placed pause or question can awaken the client to their own patterns, agency, and deeper desires. As an example: Ray, I want to pause you for a moment. What is important about what you are saying?

Interrupting, when done with love and clarity, can be a gift.

Coaching application: Use this prompt when a client is caught in a narrative: “What’s important about what you’re saying right now?”

Life application: In a personal conversation, observe when someone is caught in rehashing. Gently ask, “What matters to you about this?”

Relevant Upbuild content: [Podcast] How to Have Difficult Conversations (Apple / Spotify)