From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
Crafting an Impromptu Response
By Kim Welcome
Feb 14, 2011 - 9:49:42 AM
Okay, so you're in an important meeting
with your company's Regional Manager and five other District Managers.
Your boss catches you off guard by asking your opinion of some new idea.
You have a definite opinion, but you want to give a clear, concise answer
minus the rambling that you often hear when people are put on the spot.
How do you think clearly and answer the question while supporting your
position?
One way is to break the question into three components; past, present
and future. Start by making a statement about what things were like before,
i.e.
Past: "Before the new procedure we had no way of tracking......."
Present: "Now we have a definitive way to track and this
has been very helpful with....."
Future: "I am sure once everyone has gotten acclimated to
the new procedure we will benefit greatly from..........."
Or you can state the situation; discuss the causes and the eventual
consequences, i.e.
"The procedure is not as effective as it needs to be. We will continue
to lose profits until we find a way to address................"
Always give a thoughtful pause before you answer. It conveys you are
insightful. Say everything that you need to say and nothing more. End
with a statement that has impact, for example, "The new procedure
has effectively corrected a system flaw."
Then stop talking. Don't kill the impact by ending with words like "right",
"see" "okay" or "today".
The best way to get better at expressing your ideas without preparation
is to practice every chance you get, or even get a partner and practice
on each other. The more you rehearse the more flawless you'll become.
About the Author:
Kim Welcome
is CEO of Influential Voice, a Communication Trainer and Coach; she
assists businesses and individuals to achieve their goals through
helping them to develop deliberate, skillful,
polished communication skills. For more info www.influentialvoice.com
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