On Cue with Kafui DEY: How to manage time without looking rude

Time management is your responsibility.

But let’s be honest, it is also your biggest social risk.

Because managing time often means telling important people to stop talking.

And important people, by definition, are used to being heard.

You are hosting a high-level conference in Accra, Nairobi, or Cape Town. The program is tight. Every segment has been carefully planned. Sponsors are watching. Executives have other meetings. Flights are waiting.

Then one speaker, confident, accomplished, and clearly enjoying the sound of their own voice, turns a five-minute slot into a full documentary series.

You glance at the clock.

The clock looks back at you with disappointment.

The program is in trouble.

So how do you step in without creating enemies, damaging relationships, or becoming “that MC”?

First, prevention.

Before the event begins, align expectations clearly. Not casually but clearly.

“This segment is five minutes.”
“We’ll need to keep remarks tight.”

When expectations are set upfront, enforcement becomes easier later. Think of it like traffic rules. If there are no lanes, everyone drives anywhere.

Second, use subtle signals.

A slight step toward the podium. Sustained eye contact. A gentle nod. These are your silent tools.

If you use cue cards (“2 minutes,” “Please wrap up”) make sure they are visible but discreet. You are guiding, not policing.

Experienced speakers will pick up on these cues and adjust. They understand the language of the stage.

But then there are the others.

The ones who are deeply committed… to continuing.

They see your cue card and interpret it as encouragement.

This is where skill meets courage.

You wait for your moment.

Every speaker pauses eventually to breathe, to sip water, or to transition between thoughts. That pause is your opening.

Step forward confidently and say:

“Thank you for those important insights, especially your point on digital transformation…”

You have just done three things:

1. Acknowledged their contribution
2. Extracted value
3. Provided a graceful exit

You are not interrupting.

You are concluding.

That is the difference between rudeness and professionalism.

Now let’s consider a tougher scenario.

The speaker has gone significantly over time. The program is already behind. The next segment is at risk.

You adjust quietly.

Shorten your own transitions. Combine two minor segments. Reduce Q&A from five questions to three. Move efficiently without announcing the problem.

Never say: “We’re running behind.”

Say: “Let’s move straight into our next segment.”

The audience does not need a behind-the-scenes documentary. They need a smooth experience.

Here’s a real-life type of moment.

A panel is scheduled for 30 minutes. At minute 45, panelists are still “adding one final point.” Instead of allowing it to drift endlessly, you step in:

“Let’s take one last comment from each panelist, in 30 seconds.”

Now you have reintroduced structure without confrontation.

Humour can help if used carefully.

A gentle line like, “I’ll be very strict with time now,” can signal urgency. But avoid jokes that expose the speaker’s overrun. Nobody enjoys being publicly timed like a sprint event.

Corporate culture across Africa values dignity. Even when people make mistakes, you protect their image.

And here is the irony: many speakers are grateful.

In the moment, they may not realize they have exceeded their time. But when you help them land cleanly, they leave the stage feeling effective rather than excessive.

You become their ally, not their adversary.

When the event ends exactly on schedule, when guests leave on time, when meetings are kept, when nobody is checking their watch anxiously, your work becomes visible.

Because time, like money, is respected when managed well.

And the person who manages it with grace earns trust.

Stay on cue.

Kafui Dey is a corporate event host and author of How to MC Any Event.

Phone/WhatsApp +2332402991

Post Views: 29