One of our Miller Heiman colleagues, Rolene Liebenberg gave me a good tip the other day on how to respond to an impromptu question. You know those times when you’re put on the spot. Use the mnemonic (memory aid):

MBE

M – make your point.

B- Because – detail the reasons.

E- Example – further information, maybe tell a story.

If you need more time to think, say something like “that’s a very interesting point” and be silent while gathering your thoughts. Nod your head, knit your brow or use other appropriate body language to show the audience that you are actively considering the problem.

Another weapon for your arsenal!

We often think – “been there, done that, got the certificate”, but it can be really rewarding to revisit old techniques. A few clients have asked me to help lead their teams to an inspired start to the year. A challenge is to find something fresh, but everything new is not automatically good.

With one team we kicked off the day with a session on Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats to analyse how they approached meetings, problem solving and time management. Read the rest of this entry »

An executive seeking a job promotion came to Catherine recently for mentoring advice. Among the many things she was apprehensive about was that she had to give an impromptu fifteen minute speech on a topic that would be presented to her just before the interview. Wow! This was a nerve-wracking requirement. How do you prepare for an impromptu speech? By its very nature it has to be off the cuff. Not so. You can make things easier for yourself if you follow these easy steps. Some of these principles come from a “Power Messaging for Demonstrations” course that I run. Read the rest of this entry »