IMPROMPTU SPEAKING - I DARE YOU Part 1 - Listen

Impromptu speaking is what everyone of us does when someone asks us a question and we answer. It's impromptu in that it hasn't been studied for, researched nor pre-prepared.

This is impromptu speaking in it's simplest form. Then it becomes more complicated. Let's have a look at the workplace...

Your boss calls you into his office and asks you for an off-the-cuff report on a current project. Take a deep breath, think for a moment to marshall your thoughts, let the breath out slowly and.....  begin.

Your supervisor at work let's you know as you go into a meeting that she will be calling upon you to explain a project.  Doesn't give you much time to prepare... 

Here are a few tips for you on how to handle Impromptu Speaking:

• The basics

• Listen carefully to the question
• Pause a moment to think about what was asked
• Confirm that what you heard is what was asked by repeating the question back
• Tell the story (report, answer the question, give the report etc)
• End by summing up but don't add any new material into this summary.

This time we will cover the first part - Listen

Listening is a skill and comes with both responsibilities and advantages.

• The Responsibilities of Listening:

• Don’t just hear, be attentive
• Use what you listened to as part of your response:

-          Resist speaking until ready

-          Focus on what was said

-          Agree/disagree with question

• The Advantages of Listening

• According respect:
• Give respect by listening
• Gain respect in return
• Provides you with ready-made dialog:
• Use what you heard in replying
• Directly comment on question

Listening attentively is the first skill to be developed in developing a good strategy for dealing with impromptu speaking. It is a skill that few people are born with but one which can be developed consciously until it becomes second nature.

All too often we don't LISTEN because we are busy thinking about what we are going to say next. This often leads to our getting it wrong and jumping in with an ill-considered answer which is completely off base. We also often speak over the top of the other person, interrupting them. 

This is really quite disrespectful of the person who was talking and who asked the question and will certainly NOT gain you respect in return.

Next post will deal with the second of the basics - Pause