Professional life is a series of questions. Sometimes, it’s a simple matter of presenting the bare facts in writing. But the more critical moments come in face to face interaction with other people. The key to success in these moments is not being right but minimising the number of times that you are wrong. This doesn’t mean avoiding the tough questions but rather managing the situation.
Below I have listed out some of the ways you can manage these situations.
The Question
Understand the question – If the question isn’t clear, seek clarification by asking the questioner to reframe the question or by asking them to provide more information. It can be useful to rephrase the question in your own terms and then echo it back to the questioner to ensure that you have understood it. These are also useful tactics if you need a little more thinking time but they are transparent and if over used will cause the questioner to become frustrated.
Look for the clues – Tone of voice, the questioners’ body language,general demeanour and the wording of the question can often give vital clues as to what the ‘correct’ answer should be.
The Answer
Take your time – It is a curious fact that the perceived speed at which time passes is relative to the amount of pressure the person measuring it is under. Thinking time will seem like an eternity to you but will be barely noticed by the questioner. Business is not a quiz show, the quickest on the buzzer doesn’t win. Take a moment to consider the question and ensure that you understand what the questioner needs in an answer. Then gather your facts and structure the answer in your head before you speak.
Talk to your audience – If you can understand the personalities, circumstances and abilities behind a question you can go some way towards understanding the motives behind it. Use this knowledge to gear your answers to the audience.
Talk like a person – ‘Business speak’ and jargon don’t make you sound more professional. They either confuse people or cause people believe you are trying to hide something. Avoid them where possible and if you have no option but to use them ensure that you explain what they mean the first time you use them.
Answer the question that was asked / No show boating – If the correct answer is short, give a short answer. Long rambling answers are pointless and boring. They are also more likely to lead you into trouble by giving you the opportunity to stray away from the point into troublesome areas.
Be honest – It goes without saying that you must be honest in any answer that you give. Honesty shouldn’t be confused with either brutally direct answers which punish or naively open answers which expose too much. It simply means not misleading the audience. As a bonus honest answers are easier to manage because you only need to maintain one version of the facts rather than two.
Don’t guess – As a professional you should never guess but you may estimate or speculate based on your knowledge and experience. When doing so, clearly state that you are speculating and explain your caveats and assumptions.
Ask for a delay – In most circumstances a correct answer later is preferable to a wrong answer immediately. There is no shame in saying ‘I can’t answer that question at the moment but I will get back to you’. If you ask for a delay, always give a time when you will deliver the answer. If you are forced into an immediate answer, see Never guess above or Don’t be afraid to say "I Don’t Know" below.
Don’t be afraid to say "I Don’t Know" – Having the confidence and honesty to admit a weakness will win more respect than a wild guess or an answer full of farm yard manure.
The Delivery
Don’t try to be authoritative unless you are - Unless you know that you are the smartest or most important person in the room, don’t pretend to be. Don’t make promises or pronouncements that you can’t backup with facts or action. Remember that you likely have to meet your audience again and it’s better not to start with an apology. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be confident when speaking but avoid being overly so.
Don’t be a politician – Politicians are infamous for not answering questions. They spin, ramble, obfuscate, change the subject or offer boilerplate answers in the hope that the question will go away. These tactics are what earn politicians the lowest trust ratings of any profession. Most people are intelligent enough to spot these tactics immediately, don’t insult them by assuming they will fall victim to cheap tricks. Give the questioner the respect they deserve, answer the question that was asked.
Sometimes you need to be a diplomat – Sometimes a straight answer to a straight question will cause more damage than is really necessary. This is particularly true when the questioner has some sort of personal involvement with the answer. Don’t lie or avoid the question but use softer more diplomatic language to ease the blow.
Don’t rise to the bait – Sometimes questions will be framed in a particularly negative or confrontational manner and are designed to produce a reaction. Don’t React. Before you decide how to answer, ensure that you have picked up the question and the tone correctly, i.e. was the question worded badly without meaning to be confrontational or was it designed to inflame. If it was a simple problem with wording, answer the question in a positive tone and move on. If you are sure that the question is designed to provoke a response, the first priority is to remember that one emotional person in a conversation is difficult but two is impossible. Regardless of the questioner’s emotion and tone you must remain reasonable. Acknowledge the questioner’s ‘pain’, avoid harsh words and use a gentle tone.
Don’t fall into the trap – On occasions you will be asked awkward or trick questions which are designed to either expose or compromise. In these situations you must be cautious. Assess why the questioner is trying to trap you. Rather than avoid the question completely try to address the issues behind the question. If this is not possible, weigh up the pros and cons of answering the questions verses not saying anything. If you choose not to answer then simply point out to the questioner that you don’t feel that it is appropriate to answer the question as asked. Depending on the question you may be able to suggest that the question is rephrased so as to avoid the sensitive issue. On occasion the trap will be so well laid that you have no choice but to answer the question, in these circumstances damage control is your only option, short truthful answers will likely offer the best results and result in less collateral damage.
There’s an old saying that God gave us two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we talk. Perhaps this should be updat
ed t
o include the fact that He put a brain between the two so that we can think before we speak.
Photo by stroinski