Resources

If you learned and changed through an experience with Contribute, we offer you these phrases as reinforcement.

  • Say it like you mean it.
  • It’s your body, you’re in charge. If you’re rushing, use your skills to slow down. If you’re saying “umm” too often, use your skills to gain control. If you find yourself fidgeting or dancing around, use your skills to channel your energy and contribute to your message. ‘
  • Move with purpose.
  • “Who” are you talking to?
  • Managing your gaze is key. It’s the simplest skill but gives you the most power allowing you to connect, stay calm, think straight, and project your authentic self.
  • Eye contact begets eye contact.
  • People who are blind gesture to other people who are blind.
  • Don’t forget to breath.
  • Think elegant and executive.
  • Own the space in front of you. You’ve earned it.
  • Think of how you would sit at a dining table. Your hands wouldn’t be on the plate.
  • It’s a face-to-face meeting, not a face-to-paper or face-to-screen meeting.
  • Take a beat. Connect your head and your heart. Show what you think and how you feel and you’ll get more buy-in.
  • Check in. Is the timing still right for this presentation, conversation, feedback, etc.?
  • Breathe. A note to athletes: when you’re in performance mode, you might have built the habit of holding your breath in anticipation of the pass, the kick, the tackle. Breathe while you’re communicating; avoid fight-or-flight.
  • “Power is not rushed.” Said first to me by my dear friend, Merna Skinner.
  • “’Gesticulation isn’t divorced from speech. It’s completely tied to your speech,” University of Chicago psychologist Susan Goldin-Meadow, one of the leading researchers in the field, told Science of Us in July. “It’s part of your cognition. It’s not just mindless hand-waving.’”
  • Congratulations on reaching the C-Suite! At this point, you already know how to “drive” or present. Today, you’ll learn how to drive a racecar. At your level, the pressure’s on to win and the pace is fast. You’ll learn how to “drive” or present with presence and respond with poise.
  • Everyone hits the gas pedal to move the car and the brake to stop it (for Electric car drivers, we hit or lift up on the accelerator.) Yet, everyone has their own style of driving. You’ll learn skills and bring in your own style.
  • Your audience members are rooting for you, hoping you don’t mess up. It’s painful for them to see you sweat too. Tap into that goodwill. Connect with it.
  • Buy some time and give them the best answer – clear, concise, and on message.
  • Keep your attention on your listeners. No one ever took a slide out to lunch. No one ever promoted a slide.
  • Tell the story. Think they’re too senior for story-telling? As far as I know, even C-Suite execs go to the movies once in a while.
  • Give an insight and then state your conclusion or message. What do you want them to know? Or what do you want them to do?
  • Share compelling data. Just make sure you include a “So what?” statement. Be bold. Draw conclusions. It’s what you’re paid and entrusted to do.
  • As you design your slides, remember it’s PowerPoint, not PowerProse.
  • Is your deck a document or a delivery tool? If you have time, create a true delivery tool.
  • My Mom says, “When in doubt, throw it out,” Maybe, put it in your appendix.
  • Don’t give all your reasons up front. Save some for the Q&A.
  • Ask questions to engage.
  • Don’t ask, “Are there any questions?” Ask, “What questions do you have?”
  • Never say, “Does that make sense?” You always make sense.
  • Would you want to read it? If not, don’t hit send.
  • We say clear and concise, not concise and clear. Reduce your content, but not your meaning.
  • Edit, edit, and edit.
  • If you go beyond 17 words in a sentence, we start to lose the thread and you lose us.
  • Keep it simple and straightforward.
  • What does initiated conversations with our client mean?
  • What does a significant increase or decrease mean? What happened?
  • Who did what?
  • Construct your sentences this way, Subject + verb + object of the verb, and you’ll automatically write more clearly and concisely.
  • Only use the passive voice on purpose.
  • If you’re choosing between synonyms, choose the shorter one.
  • Assume that your reader will misinterpret your tone. Consider calling or meeting with this reader instead of writing to them.
  • Would you be proud of what you wrote if you walked into a meeting and everyone there had a copy of it? Use your answer as your guide.
  • Enter feedback conversations assuming that the other person is smart, hard-working, and well-intentioned. As humans, we’re trained to analyze and judge whatever we see and hear. Check your judgments at the door and get curious.
  • If you want to build trust and gain respect, listen.
  • Avoid, “I wonder if…” or “I don’t know if…” Ask about what you don’t know. Use, “What, How, and Why.”
  • Remember to be specific about what they’re doing well. “You’re doing great,” doesn’t cut it.
  • State the problem in one sentence and ask for their take on it immediately.
  • Ask a question that prompts them to think.
  • Stay curious.
  • Seek information and understanding, not just the facts.
  • Investigate; don’t interrogate.
  • Ask, “How, What, and Why.”
  • Take notes. When I take notes, it keeps me honest and reminds me that I’m there to listen and learn.
  • In English we have a saying, “I’ll make a note of that.” We say it even when we aren’t writing anything down. When I make a note, I’m telling you that what you’re saying is important, relevant.
  • Play it back for them. Did you hear it right? Do they want to add to or correct it?
  • Talk less. Listen more.
  • If you feel like you’ve been talking a while, stop and ask a question. Easy ones you don’t have to invent like “How does this/that sound (so far)?” “What are your (initial) thoughts?” “What’s your perspective on…?” “How does this align with…”
  • Don’t ask a question, then justify why you’ve asked it. If necessary, ease into the question or couch it, then ask it.
  • Let your point/question land.
  • You know they went wrong somehow. Find out why. Be prepared to take some responsibility.
  • Make it safe for them to tell you what’s really going on.
  • And then what happened?
  • How do they feel?
  • What else should you know?
  • What’s in it for them?
  • What’s their “why?”
  • Ask “what” not “why.”
  • Create accountability. End every meeting and presentation with an agreement on the actions, the timeline, and the people. And follow up.
  • Do your best not to take things personally, but stop bigotry in its tracks.
  • Don’t use your communication style as an excuse to behave badly.
  • It’s hard to collaborate with a liar. Just make sure it’s a lie and not a different perspective.
  • Most people want to improve. It’s part of the human condition. You just have to find what motivates them.
  • Don’t expect anyone to exceed your expectations because you pay them a good salary or even a great one.
  • Concerned about small talk? Maybe they should call it “small listen.”
  • Start with small talk and vary the amount of it based on your stakeholder and the size of the crowd. Learn to transition from small talk to business eloquently.
  • Set goals when you network. Approach people standing on their own or small groups. Never interrupt a pair in deep discussion.
  • With strangers, strike up a conversation about the weather, the food, the venue, the event and what they hope to get out of it.
  • Ask people about their expertise. You’ll make them feel smart and they’ll remember you. Plus, you may just learn a thing or two.
  • Tell others what you do, how you Contribute, not what you are. Titles are easy to forget and hard to relate to, unless, of course, they have a C in front of them.
  • Is your style all-business? Plan questions you’ll ask.
  • Are you chatty? Aim to ask questions and listen more than you speak.
  • Do you wait for others to speak first? Every once in a while, have the courage to start the conversation. Your meeting host will be grateful to you.
  • Avoid analysis paralysis. Give a short answer to their question and end with, “What else would be helpful to know?”
  • Keep your promises. Forgive others when they don’t keep theirs.
  • Aim to keep things simple in their form, while they might be complex in their substance.
  • Avoid the group read. You can all do that on your own time. How can you add value in the meeting? Which data points, information, or aspects of your project do you want or need feedback on? Direct the conversation.
  • Set clear agendas and check-in with your meeting attendees to refine it.
  • If you want to build trust and gain respect, listen.
  • When they ask you to tell them all about what you have to offer, ask permission to ask them about their goals first. Then, you can share details about your offerings that are relevant.
  • You can hear the brakes squealing when someone takes out a deck in a meeting. Use visuals sparingly in a group meeting. Make them count.
  • Guide everyone to a page in your deck and give them an overview of what they see. Take care of them and they’re less likely to flip ahead.
  • Avoid, “I wonder if…” or “I don’t know if…” Ask about what you don’t know. Use, “What, How, and Why.”
  • Stay curious about what your key stakeholders care and worry about.
  • Our best friends and our soulmates don’t just talk at us, they also listen to us. A lot. Take time to listen to your clients.
  • Ask, “How, What, and Why.”
  • Take notes. When I take notes, it keeps me honest and reminds me that I’m there to listen and learn.
  • In English we have a saying, “I’ll make a note of that.” We say it even when we aren’t writing anything down. When I make a note, I’m telling you that what you’re saying is important, relevant.
  • Play it back for them. Did you hear capture that need completely? Check your assumptions too.
  • You might have the answer, but if you don’t take care of their emotion around their question, they won’t hear it. They’re not ready. Demonstrate empathy to foster trust.
  • Tell them your process; it’ll make them feel you’re competent. Then, ask them how they’d like to manage next steps.
  • Ask them how they’re making a decision.
  • If they ask you how much it’s going to cost, use a buffer, give your answer, and immediately ask, “How does that sound?” It takes courage, but you want to know where you stand. And their first answer might be the most honest one you’ll get.
  • Talk less. Listen more.
  • If you feel like you’ve been talking a while, stop and ask a question. Easy ones you don’t have to invent like “How does this/that sound (so far)?” “What are your (initial) thoughts?” “What’s your perspective on…?” “How does this align with…”
  • Don’t ask a question, then justify why you’ve asked it. If necessary, ease into the question, then ask it.
  • Let your point/question land.
  • What else should you know? Who else should you know?
  • Sometimes you can turn a “no” into a “yes” just by asking a question, not by making another value statement.
  • Ask “what” not “why.”
  • Create accountability. End every meeting and presentation with an agreement on the actions, the timeline, and the people. And follow up.
Resources

Videos, Articles, and Books to help you contribute more value in the world