With a world so drenched in information, it’s easy to get caught in the flood. Taking a moment to keep your head above the waterline can significantly improve your impact. Create a personal framework to optimize your conversation style and executive presence. Here’s a starting point.

Get ready in advance.

Before you ever speak up, take a moment to calibrate to the listener. What do they already know, and what is most important for them to learn now? What is their frame of reference? Functional area? Business level? Concept, data or practical reality? What is the one thing they need to remember from this conversation? Think about how to craft that message in terms that will resonate specifically for them.

Establish context.

Begin with one sentence to help your listener reconnect to why you are having this conversation.

• You might recall...

• When we last spoke...

• Circling back to update you on...

• My plan is to...

Respond to a question.

Another approach is to reply to a question. Answer the question by beginning with a sentence to demonstrate your listening and engagement.

• Clarify the question.

• Agree with the question, if applicable.

• Extend the question.

Focus your message, deliver key points and then elaborate.

Let's break down ways to do this.

Structure your message.

Listening is easier with a road map. It helps the listener(s) to set expectations and plan their mental process. A road map improves their ability to remember. Here are a few ways to provide a road map:

• I think there are three things to consider about this...

• I can see this from two perspectives...

• There are several things to consider; let me walk you through them...

Deliver bullet points.

Create short phrases that deliver the key messages with clarity, brevity and directness. Don’t embellish your content. Resist the urge to provide background, describe the setting or explain details: Simply state the key points for your listener to consider.

Share your opinion.

Be more than a messenger; take time to add value. Show that you have considered the situation and have an opinion, recommendation or further questions. Use every interaction as an opportunity to share your expertise and show how you bring value to your role.

Facilitate the interaction.

Here are three suggestions to this end:

Engage the listener(s).

Invite the listener(s) to react with ideas, questions, etc.

Confirm you're listening and understanding.

While it often feels unnecessary, it’s important to verbally confirm that you hear the other person and understand their thinking. You don’t need to admit ; you just need to demonstrate active listening and alignment.

Rebound from interruptions.

If your listener interrupts, reinforce your structure and continue making your points. Doing this effectively requires reading the situation on several levels, including personality types, hierarchy, power dynamics, politics, etc. Watching for the pattern of interruptions can help inform a strategy for minimizing these distractions and staying on track more effectively in the future.

Wrap it up and plan forward.

Here are some final considerations as you bring the conversation to a close.

Gain closure.

There was a reason to have this conversation, and you need to bring the interaction to closure in a direct, precise way. Perhaps you can summarize the interaction, again using key points. And if possible, build a bridge to connect the summary to the starting point.

• Hopefully, this brings you up to date.

• Thanks for working to sort this out.

• I know this is unresolved, but we have a clear line of sight to the key considerations.

Confirm the next steps.

The final step is the forward step, clarifying what should happen next.

• Hoping you feel well briefed on the situation, is there anything else you need?

• I’ll continue on this path, including your suggestions, and get back to you.

• What would you like me to do next?

• Let’s consider this closed and move on to other things.

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Stanley Hammond

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