7 Mar Thinking on Your Feet

Thinking on your feet, also known as being quick-witted or spontaneous, is important in many situations, such as public speaking, negotiations, impromptu speeches, or spontaneous debates. Here are some tips to help you develop your ability to think on your feet:

1. Be Prepared: Preparation is vital to success. The more you know about a topic, the more equipped you are to handle unexpected questions or challenges. Read up on current events and familiarize yourself with key facts and figures related to your area of expertise. Be open to learning, unlearning, and relearning.
2. Practice Active Listening: Pay close attention to what others are saying, and respond thoughtfully and deliberately. Listen to understand, not to give a response or argue. Avoid interrupting others, and try to understand their point of view before responding.
3. Stay Calm: When under pressure, it can be easy to become disoriented, flustered, or intimidated. However, the ability to remain calm and focused is imperative to being able to think on your feet. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that you are well prepared.
4. Be Confident: Confidence is a critical component of thinking on your feet. Believe in yourself and your ability to handle whatever comes your way. Try to project a sense of self-assurance, even if you are feeling nervous.
5. Use Humor: Humor is a powerful tool for disarming tense situations and keeping the conversation light. Use humor to answer difficult questions, diffuse escalations or complex situations, and keep the audience engaged and focused.
6. Stay Flexible: Be prepared to pivot and change direction when necessary. Be open to new ideas and perspectives, and be willing to adjust your approach if the situation warrants it.
7. Stay Focused: Avoid diverting or bogged down on irrelevant details. Stay focused on the main topic and avoid getting sidetracked by tangential issues.
8. Keep it Simple: When thinking on your feet, it’s essential to keep your responses clear, concise, and easy to understand. Avoid using jargon or complex language, and try to make your points in a way that is easy for others to comprehend.

In conclusion, thinking on your feet requires a combination of preparation, active listening, confidence, humor, flexibility, focus, and simplicity. With practice and persistence, you can develop these skills and become a confident, quick-witted communicator.

25 Oct Managing Employees Remotely – On Demand Recorded Webinar

With large numbers of employees working remotely, managers are grappling with a set of challenges in communication, motivation, and employee engagement to continue leading effectively.

Watch our recorded webinar and you will learn:

– The key challenges to remote work

– Five important skills for effective remote collaboration

– How to motivate and engage employees

This is a unique opportunity to fine-tune your communication skills. You will learn proven strategies you can put to use immediately with any remote employee or team to keep them focused and productive.

30-minutes

10 Oct Speaking Business English Clearly

26 Sep Products Don’t Sell – People Do: True or False?

Is this age-old sales mantra still true? After all, when it was first said, it certainly wasn’t delivered on the devices you are reading it on right now. So has technology changed the meaning of this mantra? And how about products in today’s world? (more…)

19 Sep Eloquence: Relying on Short Words

For hundreds of years in the English language, the most powerful and memorable means of expression has been the reliance on one or two-syllable words.

Many eloquent speeches, poetry, and plays have this common strain: three out of four words are one and two syllables. (more…)