What do you do if your impromptu speaking lacks strategic thinking?

1 Understand the purpose

The first step to improve your impromptu speaking is to understand the purpose of your speech. Why are you speaking? What do you want to achieve? Who are you speaking to? How much time do you have? These questions will help you define your main goal and audience. Knowing your purpose will also help you focus on the most relevant and important information for your speech.

2 Use a simple structure

The second step to improve your impromptu speaking is to use a simple structure for your speech. A structure will help you organize your thoughts, create a logical flow, and avoid rambling or repeating yourself. A common structure for impromptu speeches is the PREP method, which stands for Point, Reason, Example, and Point. You start by stating your main point or opinion, then you explain your reason or argument, then you provide an example or evidence, and then you restate your point or conclusion.

3 Think critically

The third step to improve your impromptu speaking is to think critically about your topic and your audience. Critical thinking is the ability to evaluate information, question assumptions, and challenge perspectives. It is essential for strategic thinking and decision making, as it helps you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your arguments, the opportunities and threats of your situation, and the needs and expectations of your listeners. To think critically, you can use techniques such as SWOT analysis, which stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, or the 5 Whys, which is a method of asking why something is true or false until you reach the root cause.

4 Be creative

The fourth step to improve your impromptu speaking is to be creative with your speech . Creativity is the ability to generate new and original ideas, solutions, or perspectives. It can help you make your speech more interesting, engaging, and memorable for your audience. It can also help you overcome challenges, such as lack of information, time pressure, or unexpected questions. To be creative, you can use techniques such as brainstorming, which is a method of generating as many ideas as possible without judging them, or SCAMPER, which stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse, and is a method of modifying existing ideas to create new ones.

5 Practice and reflect

The fifth step to improve your impromptu speaking is to practice and reflect on your performance. Practice is the key to developing any skill, and impromptu speaking is no exception. The more you practice, the more confident and comfortable you will become with speaking on the spot. You can practice by joining a public speaking club, such as Toastmasters, or by asking a friend or colleague to give you random topics or questions to speak about. After each practice session, you should reflect on what went well and what you can improve. You can ask for feedback from others, or record yourself and watch or listen to your speech. Reflection will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and set goals for your improvement.

Impromptu speaking can be a daunting skill to master, but it can also be a rewarding and enjoyable one. By following these five steps, you can improve your impromptu speaking skills and enhance your strategic thinking and decision making abilities. You can also impress your audience, convey your message, and achieve your purpose.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?