Use this game to improve a common communication challenge
Problem: my boss’s boss has very little time. How do I get my point across?
We’ve all been there. We’ve been up all night to prepare a 25 minute PowerPoint presentation for the senior management team. The meeting starts on time, but the CEO isn’t there. A couple of minutes later, her right hand man receives a Teams message and says, “oh, they’ll be here in fifteen minutes. We should start without them.”
Exasperated, you begin your presentation and wonder when the CEO will walk in.
Fifteen minutes later, the CEO walks in, looks around the room, spots you and says, “so, what are we talking about? I’ve only got two minutes.”
What to do? Well, let’s begin with what not to do.
Watch the first minute of the video below and write down everything that Leonardo di Caprio does wrong.
If you haven’t seen the film, Leonardo di Caprio is playing a scientist who has to explain to the president of the USA why and how the world is going to end. It’s available on Netflix and definitely worth a watch.
You probably got quite a few of the points below:
Body language: shaking foot
“20 minutes?”: disagreed with the audience straight away
“A comet that we estimate...”: overly technical language
“Just tell us what it is...”: he could’ve started with the point
There are a whole host things he did wrong, but the point is, it was a bit of a disaster!
What to do instead
Breathe: before speaking in a high-stakes moment, take one breath. It calms your nervous system, holds you back from speaking too quickly and signals authority to the room before you've said a word.
Start with your point: the president doesn’t have all day! If you don't tell people what you're trying to say, they'll guess and likely be wrong. Distill your message into one sentence and open with it, then add context. Busy leaders and clients will thank you for it.
Take action
Find a friend who you can have a fun conversation with:
Choose a project you’re working on.
Take two minutes to explain it.
Now take one minute.
30 second.
Ten seconds.
One word.
This game is best done standing or walking. If you sit down you’ll give sluggish answers. Go for a walk, grab a coffee and practice there!
The final word on making your point
Practice, practice, practice.
Next time you have two minutes to present to the CEO, start with the refined version, listen for questions, then move where the discussion goes.
