Thinking Faster and Talking Smarter When You’re on the Spot
Think Fast Talk Smart: The Podcast
A communications podcast from Matt Abrahams, a Professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Think back to the last time you had to communicate in the moment with no preparation. An unexpected question during a meeting. Chitchat with your boss’s boss in the elevator. Feedback for your colleague in a check-in. How did it go? Did you shine, or did you deliver a lackluster response?
For most of my life, I’ve been on the front lines of spontaneous speaking. Thanks to my last name (Abrahams), I’ve always occupied the alphabetical hot seat. Going first in elementary school show-and-tell and solving high school algebraic equations at the board provided me ample practice to become more comfortable and confident in my impromptu speaking.
Years later, this skill was called to good use when the deans of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business—where I teach strategic communication—asked me to solve a pressing problem. Our talented and prepared Master of Business Administration (MBA) students kept freezing when placed on the spot with cold-call questions from their professors. To address this issue, I created a methodology to help anyone improve their spontaneous communication, and I’m going to share it here now (no MBA required).
MINDSET
As outlined in my book Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot, which is celebrating its two-year anniversary this month, honing our speaking on the spot requires us to focus on both our mindset and our messages. Let’s start with getting our mindset right.
Tip 1: Manage anxiety
Most people experience physical reactions when speaking in front of or to others. Racing hearts, sweaty palms, dry mouths—these bodily responses are often exponentially worse when you’re called on unexpectedly. Fortunately, you can ease your anxiety by addressing these physical symptoms head-on.
First, take deep belly breaths by filling your lower abdomen, making sure to exhale twice as long as you inhale. Next, channel your natural adrenaline by using big, broad gestures and step forward toward your audience (don’t shrink away!). Third, if possible, hold something cold in your hands; this practice is a form of thermoregulation, helping to reduce the elevated body temperature caused by increased blood pressure.
Tip 2: Adjust your approach
High expectations can make spontaneous speaking more difficult. Lessen your self-inflicted stress by reminding yourself that there is no one “right way” to communicate. I advise my students and coaching clients to follow the improv maxim, “Dare to be dull.” Instead of trying to blow people away with your intellect, seek simply to get the job done. Reducing pressure in this way can free you to communicate in a more relaxed and authentic manner.
Another suggestion comes from the 175+ communication experts I’ve interviewed on Think Fast Talk Smart, The Podcast: Be in service to your audience or the person you’re speaking with. In other words, it’s not about you. Remembering this should allow you to focus on collaboration and connection—whether you’re onstage or in a meeting. Try invoking a mantra before speaking that reminds you of the value your message holds. And it can be as simple as, “I have value to bring.”
Tip 3: Appreciate what is needed
Imagine you’re leaving a tense meeting at work. Your colleague turns to you and asks, “How did I do in there?” If you’re listening superficially to their question, you might point out a few of their missteps that could’ve been better. However, if you listen more completely—noticing inflection, pace, and nonverbal cues—you might realize their query is actually a request for support and encouragement, not feedback. By missing this nuance, you might have worsened your colleague’s mood and potentially damaged your relationship.
Spontaneous speaking can sometimes seem like a test or challenge, which might put you on the defensive. In turn, you might use a curt tone or deliver blunt, brief answers. However, if you view impromptu speaking as an opportunity to collaborate, you can genuinely help people.
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To listen in this more holistic and focused manner, slow yourself down and become more present in meetings, conversations, and onstage. Take a deep breath and get yourself into a mental state where you can be engaged and curious. This should help shift you from a defensive mindset to one of openness.
MESSAGE
With the right mindset in place, you can now focus on your message. The brain does not respond well to long lists and rambling responses; it prefers a structured, logical ordering of information. Here are some of my favorite ways to organize spontaneous messages—whether it’s answers to questions, feedback, or even small talk contributions.
Tip 4: Structure your message
Leverage the “What? So what? Now what?” structure. In this structure, begin by describing what you’re saying (your answer, feedback, or contribution). Next, explain why your response is relevant and important to your audience. Finally, introduce the next steps and actions. For example, if I were answering interview questions about my approach to speech coaching, I might say:
“[What?] I believe in providing foundational principles and specific action steps to those I teach and coach. [So what?] In providing some theory behind my tactical guidance, the people I work with better appreciate and remember the advice I give. [Now what?] If I were to work with you, then I would immediately begin by exploring the specific communication needs of your employees.”
Getting comfortable with any communication structure requires practice and repetition. A great way to get your reps in for this structure is to ask yourself, What? So what? Now what? after reading an email, article, or other document. Drilling this technique makes it easier to deploy in the moment.
Tip 5: Focus your content
A sure way to lose someone’s attention is by rambling. Who among us hasn’t looked longingly at the door during a presentation or at our watch during a one-on-one meeting? A simple focusing tool quickly defines your goal for any impromptu communication using the “Know, Feel, Do” framework. First, what do you want people to know about your topic? Next, how do you want them to feel as a result? And finally, what do you want them to do?
Framing your goal in this manner helps you prioritize your content and your thinking. For instance, my goal for this article is for you to know specific best practices for speaking on the spot. I want you to feel confident and excited about using these strategies. And finally, here’s what I want you to do: Use some of these best practices next time you speak in the moment.
Another focusing mechanism is to consider the language you use. Avoid using acronyms, jargon, and terminology that get in the way of others clearly understanding what you’re saying. As you speak, remind yourself that you suffer from the “curse of knowledge.” In other words, you likely know more (or know more nuances) of your subject matter than others. The antidote to this “curse of knowledge” is empathy. Consider your terms and lexicon to help make your content more accessible and focused.
Taken together, these tools for mindset and messages can help you become a better in-the-moment communicator. It takes repetition, reflection, and feedback to think faster and talk smarter. By using these tips, you have all the necessary ingredients for achieving spontaneous speaking success.
These are great points. They become more natural with practice.
My favorite lessons: 1) "... it’s not about you. Remembering this should allow you to focus on collaboration and connection—whether you’re onstage or in a meeting." 2) The "What? So What? and Now What?" as a valuable guide for communicating effectively and efficiently.
Thank you for sharing such practical and thoughtful strategies for improving spontaneous speaking. I really appreciate how you highlighted the importance of both mindset and message. Many of us focus only on what to say and overlook how our mental state shapes communication. The tips on managing anxiety and shifting from a “performance” mindset to a “service” mindset are especially helpful. they make impromptu speaking feel less intimidating and more collaborative. I also liked the simple structures you suggested, such as “What? So what? Now what?” and “Know, Feel, Do.” These are excellent tools to keep our responses clear and impactful, and with practice, they can become second nature.
It's always a delight to listen to you on your Think Fast...podcast. This article only cemented the valuable insights about the Power Of Structuring in communication. Keep it coming Matt 👍
Love the brilliant tips in this article! One takeaway point for me is about “what?”, “so what?”, “now what?” approach. Such a great way to structure a discussion which leads to outcomes and clarity for both parties