Stop babbling!
4 actions to turn rambling into executive-level clarity
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Stop babbling!
Struggling to ask a clear, concise question is a very common thing that I see damage executive presence.
If you want to be an executive, you must speak like one.
Executives value brevity because it signals disciplined thinking.
In all my classes, we always do live Q&A.
Everyone has experienced someone who gets up to the microphone and rambles without arriving at a clear question, leaving others wondering what they are talking about. By then, attention is gone and credibility is bleeding.
Surprisingly, this even happens in my executive class with Sue Bethanis, “Cracking the C-Suite,” where leaders are aiming to get Chief Officer jobs.
Before the Q&A, I always tell the class that this is a chance to practice and demonstrate their Executive Presence by asking a concise, clear question.
I then give them time to prepare.
While a few succeed, most do not.
The fix is simple but not easy. You must prepare with intention.