I love asking good questions! Getting that opportunity with Timothy Stillwell, VPO at Sysco Raleigh this week was a great learning experience for everyone. Engagement begins with good questions and good people to deliver the message. Questions are the Swiss Army knife of communication - they're adaptable, create a spark, and help the audience focus.
When you interact with someone who has the wisdom and experience Tim has, the conversation will be lively and rewarding.
Leave room for questions, and become more confident as you get immediate direct feedback.
Make questions work for you:
Strengthen Connection
Set your learning up for engagement and audience connection. Invite them into a conversation that feels personal to each listener. Create the dialogue. Questions make your audience active participants and draw them into the learning.
Three types of questions to generate connection:
Rhetorical Questions: "Can you imagine if we could achieve the standard every game we played?" This isn't meant to be answered aloud, but your audience is thinking. Someone might feel compelled even to respond.
Polling: "Give me a thumbs up if you attended the previous training sessions." Now they are part of the narrative. Raise their hand, click a button and they invest. Acknowledge responses and reinforce the involvement.
"What If" Anchors: What if we encounter leaders who don't hold the standard?" Anchors take your audience to a time or memory and frame your message within a context. Anchor the question to a message pattern, "This is where we've been, where we are now, and where we are going."
Boost Your Confidence
Questions are my friend. I reduce the pressure of being in the spotlight by taking the focus off myself.
Focus on Audience Needs: "What do they need from me today?" The shift from performance to service and your message becomes clearer.
Structure around Questions: Outline by asking, "What are the key points they need to understand?" For example, "What happens when we walk past something?" It's easier to stay on track and communicate conversationally-two factors enhancing connection.
Refocus: We have moments when we need to catch our thoughts. Create go-to questions that allow you to refocus. For example, "What's one takeaway you've had so far?" While they reflect, you reframe.
The Power of the Question
The next time you prepare to engage, frame around questions. Engage, calm your anxiousness, and help your message stick in an age of short attention spans. Create a dynamic experience and leave an impact.
