How to speak, not just write, strategically

speaking strategically

How can you be strategic when speaking?

There’s no time to prep, so what to do?

It’s tempting to assume you have to come up with your messaging on the spot.

While that’s true … it’s also not.

I suggest you reduce the amount of time thinking on your feet as you can. Here are four suggestions:

  • Lock away a few moments, perhaps on a Friday afternoon
  • Write down the most likely questions you will be asked about your work the coming week. For example … How is your project progressing? What have you achieved? What challenges are you facing? How could leaders help you succeed / accelerate?
  • Jot down some notes to answer each of these, ideally so that each one has a crisp single sentence answer. You might add detail by supporting with up to 5 points.
  • Answer those questions with greater confidence the next time you are asked … or even better, offer your answers to reinforce your successes the next time you see key people.

The key is to do as little thinking on your feet as you can.

I hope that helps. More next week.

Kind regards,

Davina

PS – Board Paper Bootcamp registrations are open

Board Paper Bootcamp, the 2-week program – helps you be more strategic when communicating with senior leaders and boards.

I am chuffed that I have one of the highest ratings on Maven with a 4.9 score from past participants.

Learn more about it here … but be quick. You need to do some prework before the first session on 6 May.

Learn more here.

PPS – If you are currently between roles, let me know and I’ll offer a significant discount.

 

Want to communicate better?

Clarity​ First's courses help you structure your thinking so you engage decision-makers better.

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ABOUT AUTHOR: DAVINA STANLEY

Davina helps senior leaders and their teams prepare high-quality papers and presentations in a fraction of the time,  nailing the message that engages decision makers fast.

She learned structured thinking at McKinsey in Hong Kong in the 1990s, was approved to teach the Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto in 2009, and has coached leaders and teams globally for 25+ years. Clients report cutting review cycles by ~30% and prep time by ~20%.*

Recent clients include 7Eleven, KPMG, Mercer, Meta, and Woolworths.

Learn more at www.clarityfirstprogram.com

* Based on 2023 client benchmarking results.