Have you ever been in a meeting where one or two people dominate the proceedings? They may be native speakers or participants who like the sound of their own voice. If you want to contribute your opinion, use the INSET approach to get your own ideas across. INSET stands for:
I Interrupt clearly. Raise your hand, lean forward and interrupt.
N Need to think. Give yourself time to think with a filler phrase.
S Show the context. Define the subject area and focus the listeners.
E Explain your opinion. State your thoughts in simple language.
T Test agreement. See if there is a consensus on your views.
Expressions in context
Have a look at the conversation below and write down the words and phrases you might find useful.
Don is dominating the discussion. His colleague, Karen, uses the INSET approach to get her ideas across.
Don: Our IT people seem to think we have very deep pockets. I don’t think we should upgrade our customer support system just now. And, another thing…
Karen: Could I just interrupt here? How shall I put this? The main point here is whether our customer support system is actually working. We all know there are problems. We’ve heard the complaints. So, my suggestion would be to follow the proposals of the IT consultants in order to keep our customer base happy. Wouldn’t you agree?
Later in the meeting
Don: I really think everyone should be back in the office by now. I’m fed up with this working from home. We need to meet face to face. And it’s not just that…
Karen: Excuse me, Don. If I could just say something. What are we talking about here? It’s whether it’s necessary for us all to be back in the office at the same time. I think we need to consider the facts. Productivity was not affected when we were all working from home, and since we’ve introduced a hybrid scheme, where some of us are in the office some of the time, our productivity has actually gone up. So, my proposal is to keep to the present working arrangements. Does this make sense?
Good to know!
The INSET approach gives you a simple structure for making sure your opinions are heard. Try it out in your next meeting or when you are in the middle of a lively discussion. Here are some more phrases you can use at each stage of the INSET approach. It works!
Interrupt clearly
• Excuse me. May I add something here?
• I’d like to come in here, if I may.
• Can I just say something here?
• Sorry to interrupt but…
Need to think
• Now, let me see…
• So, what is the question here?
• How shall I put this?
Show the context
• It’s mainly a question of…
• We should concentrate on…
• The main point here is…
Explain your opinion
• I think we need to…
• I suggest that…
• My proposal would be to…
• Why don’t we…?
Test agreement
• Could you agree on that?
• Don’t you all agree?
• I’m sure you all agree, don’t you?
• It’s the best solution, isn’t it?