303. 3 Speech Patterns That Slow Down Meetings

3 Speech Patterns That Slow Down Meetings

Olga Smith

Owner of BATCS Global, a publishing business, Director of Accent Reduction courses

March 26, 2026

Yesterday I had a meeting with my tech team, and it inspired me to write this article.

I want to showcase speech patterns that create confusion, slow down decisions, and frustrate participants.

1. Interrupting Others

This habit disrupts the flow of conversation. It’s ineffective because important ideas may be lost, and it can create tension.

Cure: Have patience to listen to others and make notes of the most important points.

2. Avoiding Direct Answers

It is quite frustrating when people do not answer questions directly, as if they didn’t hear them and go in circles. Not answering questions clearly delays decisions.

Examples

Question 1: “Can you finish this report by today?”

Indirect Response: “Well, I’ve got quite a few things going on, and the report is pretty detailed, so it might take some time to make sure everything is accurate…”

Direct answer: “I won’t be able to finish it today, but I can have it ready by tomorrow morning.”

Question 2: “How much will this project cost?”

Indirect answer: “Costs can vary depending on different factors like materials, timelines, and scope changes…”

Direct answer: “The estimated cost is £5,000, depending on the final scope.”

Cure: Listen to questions, clarify them if necessary and answer the question directly.

3. Speaking Too Quickly

This is particularly difficult if there is a tech discussion with non-tech people. It slows down the meeting because listeners may miss key information or misunderstand you.

Cure: This is a hard one to cure because it is a habit for many people and part of their nature. I recommend:

Warmly

Olga Smith

www.batcsglobal.com

280. Decoding Other People’s Messages

One of the most challenging aspects of communication isn’t expressing ourselves — it’s decoding others.

Every message we receive carries more than words. It reflects a person’s upbringing, culture, experiences, and personality. The same sentence can mean very different things depending on who’s sending it and the context behind it.

In our globalised world, where we collaborate across countries, cultures, and time zones, this skill matters more than ever. Misunderstandings don’t always come from bad intentions — they often come from different frames of reference.

That’s why suspending judgment is so important. Instead of reacting quickly or filling in the gaps with our own assumptions, we can pause, ask questions, and truly listen. Curiosity over judgment changes the quality of our conversations.

This is also what inspired me to build Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause — an app designed to help people become more intentional communicators. Not just in what we say, but how we say it: our power, our pitch, our pace, and our pauses. Because better communication starts with awareness — of ourselves and of others.

Warmly

Olga Smith

www.batcsglobal.com