THIS Speaking Exercise Will Help You Stand Out as a Quick Thinking Person

Have you ever been in a high-pressure situation when you needed to come up with a quick answer to a question…. And gone totally blank?

Every person has.

If you’re like most, one of the biggest frustrations in this situation is you often think of a viable answer AFTER the meeting, when it may be too late.

This can make you feel embarrassed or humiliated, and it could have an impact on your career.

An outcome of these situations is people often mistakenly believe their lack of ability to quickly answer the question is a reflection of their intelligence or ability.

That’s nonsense because the deeper problem is tied to conditioning. You’re not accustomed to quickly responding.

How to Overcome This Problem

There are several games you can play to condition yourself to more quickly think and respond.

One of my favorites is the Driving Game. You don't have to be in a car for this game, but the next time you're driving or a passenger, notice people or items along the way. Comment on what you see, like a television news reporter.

“I'm driving down Elm Street, and on the corner is a policeman on a horse. He’s smiling and having a pleasant conversation with some people who look like tourists.

“I love the white “socks” on the horse. They’re such majestic animals.

“There’s a stroller. I wonder if the little kid likes the horse

“There’s a carrying case on the saddle. I’ll bet there are all kinds of goodies in there…”

You get the idea. Don't censor yourself or think about what you're going to say, respond to whatever you see in the moment. There's no right or wrong to this exercise, it's a way to condition yourself to see and speak without thinking.

Once you've practiced that enough to be comfortable, utilize a second game — The 30 (or 60) Second Description.?

While walking or driving, choose one item or person and speak about it for 30 to 60 seconds.

“A see the bluebirds have built a new nest in the tree. They made quite a commotion last year, especially when the new neighbors moved in with their cats.

“Whenever I see a cat I remember that time I got to do a behind-the-scenes tour of the Cat House at the zoo. I'll never forget how intimidating that tiger looked from 10 feet away.?

“Speaking of 10 feet I wonder if they're going to raise the height of the room in basketball. It seems so many players can easily dunk the league may need to raise the hoop to increase the difficulty…”

This is another example of taking an idea and letting your thoughts take you wherever they go. I didn't have to change the topic, but, when I wrote the word cat, I thought of an example of when I saw tigers at the zoo.?

Those thoughts lead me to the concept of 10 feet, which spurred a memory about basketball hoops.

A New Habit in 5 Minutes a Day

If you use this exercise for 5 to 10 minutes a day for the next two months, I promise you'll become a much faster thinker. I know this because I did it about 10 years ago on my daily drive to and from work.?

It helped my observational skills and definitely sped up my response time whenever I was asked an unexpected question.

The next time you’re in a high-stakes meeting and you're asked an unexpected question, don't fret. With a few minutes of practice each day, you can become the person in the room who comes up with quick ideas when they're needed. It just takes a little practice.

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If you'd like to talk with Michael about how to deliver your speeches in the most effective manner, schedule?your no-cost & no-obligation ZOOM call with him: https://bit.ly/CPR15Laser