Sometimes anxiety soars when we are in a place of answering questions. Questions can come to us like darts at full speed. Questions from colleagues in meetings, questions from audience members during presentations, and even questions from other team members and associates about sensitive topics can bring us up short.
A process for answering questions effectively and with ease includes the following two steps: First, listen carefully with an intentional hard focus, fully concentrating on the exact words the speaker is using. Remember, inner chatter gets in the way of this focused listening, so turn down the volume. Then, clarify what’s being said by bracketing, paraphrasing, checking perceptions, and probing. In the weeks to come, my snacks will discuss each of these in practical ways.
For now, my challenge to you is to paraphrase whenever you have the slightest hint that you may not fully understand what a speaker has asked. Simply put, paraphrasing is restating in your own words, what you heard a speaker say or ask. Following a question, you paraphrase, and then after you’ve confirmed your understanding of the question, you answer it. Sounds easy, right? It is! So try it on this week. It can assist you to be more confident about addressing those darts that come flying in your direction.
