By Andrea Clarke
We all know the feeling. We step into the lift and no one else is in there. Except for the CEO. We’re seated around the boardroom table and out of left field, we’re asked to address the entire room. We answer the phone and we’re met with an international conference call that we’re supposed to be hosting. And it’s not even 9am.
In a split second we need to be considered credible, in control and commanding.
There’s no ‘faking it til you make it’ in these moments. But don’t be paralysed. Be prepared. See if the following simple framework helps you organise your thoughts so you can step into any situation with confidence and control.
In one line, what is the REAL headline here – not the headline that is most relevant to you but most important to your audience? Be firm, be bold. Declare an opinion. You’re the expert. Having an opinion I hope is what you’re getting paid for.
Find your facts; fall back on evidence that your work has produced. For example, if you’ve introduced a new initiative that has generated a 60% increase in sales this quarter, then say so. Use statistics and hard data to reinforce your point. Keep one idea to one sentence. If you have three different sets of data, then give them one line each.
What do you want the audience to do about this information right now? What challenges or opportunities does it reveal? Have you brought them a breakthrough in some form and if so, what do you need them to act on in the next 24 hours? What’s likely to happen in the market if you don’t act? Be specific about what you need and give the audience a sense of urgency if you can. Wrap it up with a firm recommendation. No trailing off on a thought bubble and no tangents.
Even if you need to scramble for the facts, you’ll still sound like there is order to your thought process. My advice is to practice this framework in everyday exchanges, so when you do happen to be ambushed, you’ll respond without hesitation. You may even look forward to being put on the spot.
Andrea Clarke is a former Washington D.C. correspondent and international aid worker, now helping women across corporate Australia reach their potential with her live + online career development program, ‘Be the CEO of Your Career’. The next round of Andrea Clarke’s program starts on July 4.
This article was first published by Women’s Agenda.
Women’s Agenda is a news and features site for career women, and a sister publication to The Mandarin.
