Executive Presence: High Impact Conversations

Adapted from my article first published with Forbes in November 2023

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

When work drones on with conversation after conversation, it’s easy to get drowned out. Taking a moment to strategize for engagement will significantly improve your impact.  It’s important to have a personal framework to optimize your conversation style and executive presence.  Here’s a starting point.  

Get Ready in Advance

Calibrate to your audience:  Before you ever speak up, take a moment to calibrate to your 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 your message in terms that will resonate specifically for them. 

Engage From the Start

Establish Context:  Begin with one sentence to help your listener re-connect to why you are having this conversation.  For example:  You might recall, When we last spoke, Circling back to update you on, My plan is to, etc.

Or

Respond to a Question:  Answer the question by beginning with a sentence to demonstrate your listening and engagement.  For example:  Clarify the question, agree with the question, extend the question, etc.

Focus Your Message:  Deliver Key Points, then Elaborate

Structure your message:  Listening is enhanced with a roadmap.  It helps the listener(s) to set expectations and plan their mental process.   A roadmap improves their ability to remember.  Here are few ways to provide a roadmap:  I think there are three things to consider on this; I can see this from two perspectives; or, there are several things to consider, let me walk you through them, etc..

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

Pause for input:  Allow time for mental digestion.  Ask if they understand.  In important situations, when alignment is critical, find a way for them to repeat back.  This is the true test of understanding.  Ask if examples might be helpful, and be ready to share something that you’ve already prepared.  Don’t elaborate if it’s not needed.  

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 in your role. 

Energize the Interaction

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

Confirm listening/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 agree, 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  

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. For example:  Hopefully this brings you up to date; Thanks for working to sort this out; I know this is unresolved, but we have clear line of sight to the key considerations; etc. 

Confirm Next Steps:  The final step is the forward step, clarifying what should happen next.  For example, 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?; or, Let’s consider this closed and move on to other things; etc.  

Creating conversations to drive impact requires adapting to your listener, focusing your message in a memorable frame, engaging their reaction, and closing with a reinforcing summary.  The steps in this framework may not exactly match your style, but it’s a starting point to create your own conversational framework.  Taking time to be intentional about your conversations will improve your executive presence and optimize the impact of your interactions.