Are you announcing new findings or strategies to your team, your organisation or any other audience? Are you wondering why they’re not on board with you?
A common mistake in getting carried away with a new and exciting vision...is that we try to meet our audience at the finish line instead of taking them on the journey with us. We present our conclusions ... and wonder why they're not with us.
Reason is a fabulous tool – it is one of things that distinguishes us as thinking creatures. Yet we forget to share our reasoning and then wonder why there is such disconnection from our audience.
What got you to this point of understanding? If you take your audience (your team, your department, your staff) on the same journey with you, you’re more likely to find them feeling your excitement at the finish line. Give them the back story, the context, the overview. This will not only increase their understanding of your rationale, it will also make them feel they are sharing in the process rather than having a final decision dumped on them.
Here are some points to think about including to take your audience on your journey:
- What made you start thinking about new ways of doing things? (Problems/incident/inspiration)
- What research/surveys/questioning/experiments did you undertake?
- What is the new scenario now? (Are there other options?)
- What is the future vision?
- How can those around you support it – and possibly develop it further?
As with any speaking scenario, it doesn’t hurt to share your feelings. What were the frustrations, risks and anxieties you had before and how do you feel now? Enthusiasm is infectious – let it show!
Start at the beginning, give the back story and by the time you reach your conclusions...they will be a new beginning for your audience!