Have you ever been on a firing line in the boardroom and regretted not responding appropriately?
Did you ever request help when the timing was wrong and you didn’t get the desired response?
Do you regret and beat yourself for not giving a counterpoint in a fierce discussion?
Timing is communication is everything. Right communication at the wrong time has little impact and leads to lost opportunities.
So, why aren’t you able to respond at the appropriate time? Mostly because you have low self-esteem, fear of consequences, or you are unsure of the accuracy of response or a hormonal seizure.
Now, what can you do to get your timing right? Keep the following in mind:
- Shift your focus: Mostly when you are presenting you are thinking about yourself and consequently you tend to miss the cues in the room and can’t think of the right response on the go. So, shift the focus from yourself to your audience and pay attention to their verbal and non-verbal cues.
- Prepare well: Nothing beats 100 percent readiness. When you are not fully prepared, your body language displays a lack of confidence and falcons in the room will get an opportunity to pounce at you.
- Work on your self-esteem: The biggest reason for your inability to respond in a timely manner is your poor self-esteem. You are highjacked by a spiral of thoughts and non-existing fears that prompt you to play safe and delay your response.
- Be authentic: We live in the world of pretense, trying to create the right impression to get the result that will please our superiors. Leadership is all about authenticity. Every time you muster the courage to speak up about what you believe in, your presence expands and your surroundings adjust. Eventually, you get comfortable to think and speak on the move.
- Pause and practice abdominal breathing: Our physiology impacts our psychology. When you are experiencing a hormonal seizure, take a pause and practice deep abdominal breathing. The excess oxygen into your bloodstream will activate the cells. As a result, you will be able to think better.
Change the game!