There are few things more painful and embarrassing than getting completely derailed in a meeting. Many of us have seen coworkers get pummeled with questions before they can get past the first page or slide of a well-prepared and thoroughly rehearsed presentation. Rather than moving forward with their agenda, as they hoped, they leave the meeting with more work and lost credibility.
The best way to counter this is to determine who your key constituents are relative to your topic and set up one-on-one meetings with all of them at least a few days in advance of the big meeting. Make sure you understand their perspective and answer any questions and concerns. You will head off disastrous interruptions and undoubtedly gain valuable information that will help refine your presentation.
3. Stop, Ask and Listen!
Today’s fast-paced workplace has dealers and managers running at record speed, often from department to department, while emails stack up in their inboxes. The resulting pressure of this overload causes you to rush through conversations so you can cross them off your list and move on to the next task. Unfortunately, plowing through important conversations will never yield a productive outcome, and it often produces more work and headaches.
The best method for approaching key conversations that need a little extra finesse or persuasion — particularly in the midst of a time-pressed schedule — includes using the following techniques:
- Stop and take a breath so you
don’t rush into your agenda in
the first five seconds of the
conversation,
- Ask open-ended questions,
such as “What’s going on in
your department?” or “How
has this system helped you?”
and,
- Be sure the person with whom
you are engaged has ample
time to convey their thoughts
without your interjection,
direction or interruption.
When you do have the chance to speak, keep in mind that people only have the capacity to absorb so much. When you provide an overload of detail, you risk losing the real essence of what you are trying to convey. Stay focused on who your audience is and what they care about to ensure your dialogue and key points are streamlined and succinct.
You will find this tactic also helps build more productive professional relationships. The most successful people in any company aren’t necessarily the smartest. They are those who take the time to listen and learn from others because they truly value what they have to say.
4. Converse With Clarity.
People today are inundated with data, work under tight timeframes and talk in acronyms. Some professionals tend to use a lot of insider jargon and industry terminology when they communicate, making it difficult for anyone outside their immediate network to understand.
Also, incompetent people tend to rush through important details in the hopes that no one else will ask questions or notice their inaptitude, and you certainly don’t want to be perceived in this light. Such conversation crushers can leave others feeling intimidated, out of the loop and unable to effectively contribute.
Rather than contributing poorly to the conversation or sitting on the sidelines as the dialogue ensues, a better approach is to pick the right setting and ask clarifying questions