Thinking on Your Feet

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About Answers and Responses: o !uild "ood relations, #a$e con$ersation, not %uestion-and-ans&er periods. 'i$e a response( t#e ans&er plus one main piece of support. )uild in a clue to stop *ourself from tal+in" too lon" or to s#o& *ou &elcome a follo&-up %uestion. Five Basic Steps to Successful Response to All Questions: ,. -isten - pa* attention to &#at.s alread* !een said /. 0ause to or"ani1e *our t#ou"#ts 2. Repeat t#e %uestion 3. 'i$e t#e one main support to t#e ans&er (and a clue for follo&-up) 4. S O0. 5on.t end in an e6cuse. Responding to ifficult Questions: 7#en as+ed a %uestion t#at discomforts *ou( !u* time to compose *our t#ou"#ts. 8a$e t#e confidence t#at t#e appropriate response &ill "et from *our !rain to *our mout#. !etting a better "uestion: 'ettin" a !etter %uestion to ans&er &ill alle$iate man* seemin"l* difficult %uestions, turnin" t#em into eas* %uestions. 8o& can *ou "et a !etter %uestion9( :s+ to #a$e t#e %uestion repeated :s+ a %uestion of *our o&n :s+ for clarification :s+ for definition Clarif* or define a point *ourself #edging$ Responding to "uestions you can answer but don%t want to: #ese %uestions could in$ol$e classified information, non-pu!lic facts, pri$ate estimates, prices, etc. actics for #ed"in" professionall*( Respond to one aspect of t#e %uestion - 0ic+ one aspect of t#e %uestion *ou &is# to spea+ to and form *our response around it. I"nore t#e rest. Refocus t#e %uestion - C#oose one aspect of t#e %uestion (usuall* t#e positi$e one) &#ic# *ou are &illin" to tal+ a!out, and !uild a stron" supported response around it. ;5iscuss< t#e %uestion - Use t#is for t#e t*pes of %uestions t#at #a$e no ans&er. 5iscuss t#e issues raised in t#e %uestion &it# t#e audience. )uild a !rid"e - )rid"in" ena!les *ou to mo$e from &#at t#e see+er as+ed to &#at *ou &ant to tal+ a!out. #e !rid"e must !e stron" enou"# to !e a lo"ical transition !et&een t#e material of t#e %uestion and *our response material. 'enerall* use t#is &#en t#e %uestioner !rin"s up one concern (suc# as

price) t#at is not as +e* as anot#er concern (suc# as %ualit*). :l&a*s ac+no&led"e t#e %uestioner.s concern first, t#en !rin" up t#e main concern. Responding to negative "uestions: #ree tec#ni%ues &#en respondin" to ne"ati$e %uestions( ,. Repeat t#e %uestion as part of t#e ans&er /. C#an"e t#e ne"ati$e concept of don.t, can.t, &ouldn.t, s#ouldn.t to a neutral or positi$e concept 2. Refocus t#e %uestion to somet#in" t#at can produce positi$e results Remem!er to not "o alon" &it# t#e ne"ati$e tone or t#e ne"ati$e &ords. 0#rase t#e ne"ati$e statement into a positi$e. I"nore t#e #ostilit*, a &#in* tone or "uilt* di" t#at accompanies t#ese %uestions. !etting so&eone else to respond: #ree alternati$es to redirect t#e %uestion( ,. Redirect t#e %uestion to a collea"ue if one is present /. Redirect t#e %uestion to anot#er mem!er of t#e audience, eit#er a specific peson or to t#e "eneral audience 2. Redirect to t#e see+er Rules for redirectin"( ,. 'et t#e attention of t#e ot#er person to &#om *ou.re redirectin". )e"in !* sa*in" #er name loudl* and clreal*, so s#e is alert to &#at is a!out to #appen. /. Repeat t#e %uestion clearl*. S#e ma* not #a$e #eard t#e %uestion. 2. )u* #er some time. 'i$e e6planation a!out #er e6pert !ac+"round. You are also =ustif*in" &#* *ou aren.t ans&erin" it. E$en if s#e isn.t more %ualified, e6tra time &ill #elp #er respond !etter t#an *ou. 3. Identif* t#e see+er, if possi!le. !iving the floor to a hostile or difficult person: #ose "rum!lin" malcontents &ill tal+ to an*one t#e* can> *ou are far !etter off to let t#em #a$e a !rief moment. #e +e* &ord #ere is !rief> let t#em spea+ !riefl*, respond !riefl* and t#en mo$e s&iftl* to t#e ne6t %uestion or ne6t a"enda item. #is action "ets t#at pro!lem !e#ind *ou, instead out t#ere roamin" around, causin" discontent to "ro&. Some lan"ua"e to use( John those views need to be expressed. We want to consider all sides of the issue. Our agenda is tight today, but let me give you a couple minutes to air them. :fter t&o minutes are up , si"nal a finis#, or interrupt firml* &it# Thanks John for that input. Next item ... If someone is disruptin" t#e discussion !* &#isperin" loudl*, draw attention to t#em to diffuse t#e situation.