By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy

Here is the second of two posts on the design of a Q&A session. Reading time: 7:23.

     Think of yourself as a boxer the next time you conduct a Q&A session after a speech.

       You bob and weave, protecting yourself with one hand and powering yourself with the other. You look for key openings to land your ideas with impact, insight and intensity.

     Like a boxer whose preparation begins long before stepping into the ring, a Speaker Leader’s  preparation for his or her Q&A begins long before they step up to the lecturn.

      In fact, their  Q&A research and preparation forms the backbone of the Speaker Leader’s speech in much the same way a boxer’s  roadwork and sparing sessions informs the strategic intent of his planned boxing match.

     And the Speaker Leader’s  preparation– much like the proficient boxer –anticipates the strengths and leverages the weakness of his or her opponent.

      So too the prescient Speaker Leader senses what the audience’s knows and needs to know; what the audience needs to –and wants to –hear and most importantly what the audience is afraid of hearing.

       No wonder with all that focus on preparation, the most effective Speaker Leaders anticipate and develop extensive FAQs –Frequently Asked Questions–and well-researched answers well in advance, sound answers in more ways that one written for the ear. Continue reading →