Prepare to be Spontaneous
Another oxymoron of great communication (part 1 of 2).
Sophie confided in me that she was sure with enough time, effort, and focus, she could prepare and deliver stronger weekly updates at her regular Friday team meetings (the reason her boss had suggested she take me on as a coach). Her bigger fear, however, was the many impromptu conversations she had throughout the week. Those moments, for which she felt unprepared, caused her the greatest amount of angst in the workplace. I offered, in a somewhat cheeky tone, “Just because they’re spontaneous does not mean you shouldn’t prepare.”
Together, we began to look at some of the ways she could master structures that would make these moments less challenging, maybe even becoming something she could look forward to. Yes, quite frankly, we prepared to be spontaneous.
Stanford lecturer, author and podcaster Matt Abrahams, emphasizes in his latest book, Think Faster, Talk Smarter, that effective structures allow us to link concepts to each other for the audience. “Without clear bridges between ideas, we’ll lose our audiences, and they’ll go to their phones, their friends, or to sleep.” He goes on to say that structure is a logical connection of ideas … a beginning, middle and end. It is not a list, nor is it simply an ordering of slides. Effective framing, then, enables us to accomplish four goals for speaker and listener:
Engage with the content more fully
Recall our argument later (repeatability is key for the listener to be your ambassador)
Process information more easily
Shape and sharpen their (and our) thinking
Today, I’m going to lay out six of the structures that I find to be most useful, offer caution about the risks that structures can pose, and then close with an example of the same question answered with a few different structures. Next week, I have several more to share with you, so please stay tuned. For ease, I’ve broken them into three broad categories:
Chronological
Before, During, After – easy to describe, a step-by-step process or project plan
Beginning, Middle, End – the typical narrative structure that works so very well
Persuasive
What, So What, Now What – described by Abrahams as the “Swiss Army Knife” of structures. Provide the content (What), its relevance (So What), and next action (Now What)
Problem, Solution, Benefit – the heart of a good pitch for an innovative solution
Comparative
Pro and Con – as the name suggests, simply outlining the advantages and disadvantages of a proposed option and using those to lead to a decision
Comparison, Contrast, Conclusion – note what’s similar, what’s different, and why that matters
Now, before I offer you a few examples, let me warn you that misusing structures can damage your authenticity. Years ago, a director at Kaplan urged me to train salespeople using the “feel, felt, found” structure. It goes something like this: “I understand you feel our LSAT courses are too expensive; other aspiring law students have felt the same way but then found it to be a worthwhile investment once they took our course and increased their score.” My sales team found this approach too simplistic and, frankly, too much like a used car salesman. We abandoned it after that one training session. If you feel “trapped by a structure” it may not be the one for you to use. You must make it your own!
Finally, here are just a few examples of structures in action in response to this question: “So, JD, I heard that you and Ken went to TED Next in Atlanta last month. Can you tell me more about it?”
It was a wonderful opportunity for us to see several great speakers in a few short days. It’s a bit exhausting, but it gave me a ton of new examples to use when I prepare speakers or teach workshops. The challenge for me now is to start incorporating these talks into my training and writing. (What, So What, Now What.)
I love getting to see a multi-day TED event. It provided me with the chance to see lots of great speakers and discuss the experience with others who saw the same talk. I always learn more by hearing what others experience. The drawback is that you see so many talks in such a short time it can be hard to keep them all straight. (Pro/Con.)
Ken and I both speak a lot in our jobs. Each week, often many times in a week, we are at the front of the room, speaking (me), preaching (him), or teaching (both of us). While we both love our work, it’s also kind of draining to be “on stage” like that and expected to come up with new material each week. When the chance came to register for TED Next, a new offering in Atlanta, we jumped at it. Attending this was a breath of fresh air to be in the audience and not on the stage or preparing the speakers. We were free to have ideas wash over us and remind ourselves how great it is to be the recipients of inspiration. (Problem, Solution, Benefit.)
I’m a bit biased. I wrote the last three paragraphs, but I don’t believe the structure eclipsed the content. Frankly, it freed me up to tell the story, knowing that I had, for the most part, anchors to use as I replied. To learn even more about TED Next, check out the TED blog, which covers each of the sessions in more detail.
So, my challenge for you this week is to get out there and try some new structures when you are speaking spontaneously. Determine which of these work for you and begin to rotate them through your repertoire of ways to handle impromptu talks, for which, yes, you really can prepare. Let me know how it goes.
REGISTER NOW: Next Thurs. 11/21 at 12:30 pm PST LinkedIn Live conversation with Chris Lipp on Breaking Conventional Wisdom to launch his newest book.
One of the true joys in life, for me, is to see those whom I’ve mentored flourish. That’s been my experience watching Chris Lipp’s trajectory in the past decade since we first met. He was a leader of the on-campus group of Toastmasters I sponsored. I urged him to take on communication coaching part time as a member of my team. He then led some workshops and took on greater and greater roles. He left Stanford and joined the faculty at Santa Clara, then Rice, and USC. He’s now a professor and director of the management communication program at Tulane’s Freeman School of Business. His latest book, The Science of Personal Power: How to Build Confidence, Create Success, and Obtain Freedom, comes out tomorrow. Next Thursday, November 21, at 12:30 pm Pacific, I will interview him on LinkedIn Live and hope you will tune in to join us.
As always…the best way to support my work is to share this newsletter with others and invite them to subscribe. Below is what I’m reading, hearing, and viewing these days. Let me know what’s on your screen.
Reading: Much of what I learned about structure comes from the work of my friend and colleague Matt Abraham. Check out chapter five of his new book, Think Faster, Talk Smarter, and visit his resource page for more strategies for structured spontaneity.
Hearing: The song Anthem from Chess has been a favorite of mine since my sister Kathy and I saw it in London in 1989. This rendition by Josh Brogan moved me this week. Regardless of your view of Tuesday’s election, I believe the message can inspire all of us to not be torn apart.
Seeing: Let’s end on a fun note with this brief video profile of the Olpe Chicken House (just outside Emporia, KS, where I went to college). I’m taking my kiddos there this week while back for a visit to ESU.
Great article, thanks you!