If you prefer video content over text, I explain this material with fun, musical examples in my YouTube video.
When you’re asked a question, do you jump in immediately to share your thoughts, or take a moment to pause and plan?
In this article, I discuss why organization and foresight are necessary for executive presence.
What Not To Do
Pretend you ask a speaker, “What is your definition of success?” and you hear them say the following. Consider: does it sound like this person is making things up as they go, or that they actually know what they’re talking about?
“Success is alignment between a few things for example you need to know what your values are that’s very important some people don’t know that and go through life blindly so you also need to know about your current goals of course we have to get through our everyday and what would that all be about if we didn’t enjoy that process I mean if you don’t that’s a pretty poor life experience right?”
This person jumped in immediately with their first thought: “knowing your values”. Because they didn’t have a clear plan for what to say next, they proceeded to make a series of associative tangents.
- Talking about “knowing your values” reminded them of “some people not knowing that” and “going through life blindly”.
- “Going through life blindly” reminded them of “life goals” which reminded them of “enjoying life”.
It’s like they started walking in a straight line, but quickly got distracted by the scenery and started zig-zagging all over the place.
What To Do
Check out how Marshall Goldsmith, bestselling co-author of “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There,” answers the same question. You only need to watch about 30 seconds from the video below to get a sense of Marshall’s technique.
When asked, “What is your definition of success?” Marshall takes a small pause. Then answers:
“Success is as you go through life you have alignment between your, one, higher aspirations; two, what you’re trying to achieve; and three, enjoyment of the process of life itself”
His response is clean and uncluttered because he planned where he was going. Instead of running through the wild west of his stream of consciousness, he takes a moment to sketch a route, then drives smoothly from one milestone to the next.
He knows what he’s trying to say, so we know what he’s trying to say.
Summary
The next time you’re asked a question, don’t jump straight in. It may be tempting to do so to look like an “expert”, and avoid looking “ignorant”. You might be afraid of the “awkward silence”.
But the truth is: we look like an “expert” when our responses are clear and concise. And our responses are clear and concise if we take a moment to pause and plan.
If you’re looking for further guidance on how to differentiate your communication skills and stand out in the workplace, take my free self-assessment.
I’m writing a book on thinking quickly, speaking clearly, presenting convincingly, and supercharging your executive presence. Follow me on LinkedIn for more updates on the book and its release!
