How to interject in a meeting

Recently I delivered a Listen and speak under pressure presentation for BIO, a networking group I belong to.

After the presentation one of the participants contacted me and told me, that he had used one of the techniques I described in the presentation.

The participant used my Open, Middle, Close speaking structure to interject in a senior level meeting. His interjection made an impact and won the approval of the senior executives in the meeting.

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TOM Brady’s TIP for IMPROVING

“Incentivise awareness

… managers should reward employees who detect flaws in their thinking and correct course. At the NeuroLeadership Institute, we have a ‘mistake of the month’ section in our monthly work-in-progress meetings to help model and celebrate this kind of admission.

To use a sports example, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady reportedly pays is defence if they can intercept his passes in practice . . . The takeaway: By making error detection a team sport, you destigmatize the situation, highlight the learning opportunities, and increase the likelihood of making better decisions in the future.”

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Be more ARTICULATE with this SPEAK under Pressure DRILL

In my former career as a speech pathologist, one way I’d treat head injured clients who had severe spoken communication problems, was to use time-pressure drills.. These drills would, in effect, ‘create’ new neural pathways around the injured part of their brain, and allow the person, to improve their speaking delivery.

Now, even though most of you don’t have a head injury) you can still improve your quick translation of thoughts to speech through drilling, which will to serve you in pressured interactions, encounters, meetings and presentations.

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Why – “If ONLY I had SAID this” – is the WRONG strategy

“Understand the greatest generals, the most creative strategists, stand out not because they have more knowledge but because they are able, when necessary, to drop their preconceived notions and

focus intensely on the present moment.

That is how creativity is sparked and opportunities are seized”. This is a quote form p.21 of Robert Greene’s great book, The 33 Strategies of War. The point of sharing the quote is this. In under-pressure situations, the person who has the most options, readily available to deploy, wields the most power. For example, in my Listen and speak under pressure programmes I provide participants with numerous options to respond to any type of pressured interaction. However, at certain times, as Greene describes above,

it’s wise to ignore those options.

Greene further elaborates on this topic below: “In looking back on an unpleasant disagreeable experience, the thought inevitably occurs to us: if only we had said or done x instead of y, if only we could do it over . . . The problem, though, is not that we think of the solution only when it is too late. The problem is that we imagine more knowledge is what was lacking . . . What makes us go astray in the first place is that we are un-attuned to the present moment . . . applying ideas that we digested long ago but that have nothing to do with our predicament in the present. More books, theories and thinking only make the problem worse. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Own the Conversation

This may be tough to do. In one of your next under-pressure situations – that might prompt panic – focus intensely on the present moment, and trust that an idea or solution will emerge. It could be a simple as allowing a one or two second pause that settles you – that gives you time for a fresh in-the-moment response. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ p.s. Consider this statement. People size you up quickly, and change their mind . . . slowly. How are people sizing you up? p.p.s. A reader recently asked for my analysis of Greta Thunberg’s (GT) United Nation’s presentation. Here is the LINK to the 3:30 minute clip.
Here was my first run-through analysis:
– the delivery was monotonous and somewhat robotic, partly due to GT reading the presentation. GT spoke sentences/phrases of the equal length with a predictable intonation pattern. This delivery loses audience attention.
– there was no emphasis on important points which lessens their impact.
– the speech needed better structuring. There was no spotlighted key messages to retain and/or act upon. On reflection, to me the key message which GT wanted to convey is something to the effect of, ‘We will be coming to change the world with or without you.’
– the rushed closing also lessened the impact.
– due to the above factors some may find it difficult to take GT and her message seriously.

How NOT to be INTERRUPTED at LT & Board presentations

A number of my clients are frustrated when delivering important presentations to their Leadership Team or Board.

There frustrated because soon after they start presenting, a member of the Leadership team or Board interrupts them.

This interruption interferes with the speaking flow, and turns into a free flowing discussion between the leaders in the room, leaving the presenter stranded and often resulting in deferring the decision on the matter to a later time.

Innumerable hours of time are lost due to these interruptions.

and it can take months before a final decision is made.

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