When I cut somebody off in an online meeting, I now apologize to the person I spoke over and say “I’m just excited” about whatever it is we are talking about. It may be a lie (because how exciting is my job, anyway?) but I think it is usually appreciated. After I do this, I shut up and listen.

I almost never mean to cut people off in meetings, by the way. I find it hard, especially during conference calls or WebEx meetings, to know who should talk when a question is thrown out to all attendees at once. Sometimes I start talking at the same time someone else does, and I think we both feel embarrassed about it.