23 April 2025
Interrupting. Cutting someone off. Talking over another person.
These are all behaviours most people avoid.
Yet in coaching, these same behaviours can sometimes be essential, and there are moments when not interrupting is a missed opportunity.
As coaches, many of us have internalised the social belief that interruption is rude. But coaching isn’t a polite conversation—it’s a purposeful one. ICF PCC Marker 6.6 reminds us:
“Coach allows the client to complete speaking without interrupting unless there is a stated coaching purpose to do so.”
Interrupting with intent is a skill —one that calls for awareness, courage, and clarity of purpose. That’s why, ReciproCoach is once again offering, The Art of Effective Interruption with MCC Joanna Davis. This90-minute group mentoring session is focused on building confidence and capability around one of coaching’s most nuanced and underutilised skills, as you explore:
- The purpose of interrupting
- Good reasons to interrupt
- Why we mistakenly interrupt
- How to interrupt effectively
- Signs when to interrupt
- Signs when not to interrupt
- When we don’t interrupt, but should
Participants are invited to submit recording excerpts showing both successful and unsuccessful interruption attempts (or lack thereof), and the group will discuss and learn from these in relation to the ICF Core Competencies. Time permitting, the session will also include opportunities for live practice and exploration of when and how interruption serves the coaching process—or hinders it. Registrations close June 17.
This session is limited to 10 participants, is suitable for coaches of any experience level, and counts for 1.5 MCC (or lower credential) group mentoring hours. Alternatively, participants may claim 1.5 ICF CCEs in Core Competencies towards credential renewal.
If you can’t attend live, observer-only access to the recording is also available. More info here.
Supporting coaches to unlock the power of interruption,
Kerryn Griffiths, PhD, PCC
Global ReciproCoach Coordinator
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