The_Essential_Manager_s_Handbook

RUNNING BRIEFINGS AND MEETINGS / 289

ANTICIPATE QUESTIONS

Do your best to address

audience concerns, questions,

doubts, and fears in advance.

Plan the content of your

briefing around the needs

of those in the audience.

Tip

CASE STUDY

A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

As CEO of the international retail

giant Walmart, David Glass knew

the company would have to be quick

off the mark with merchandising

strategies, particularly in response

to moves made by competitors.

Each Saturday morning, when

sales results for the week were

transmitted to the corporate

headquarters, Glass would

gather key subordinates to share

information from people in the field.

They would tell the sales team what

their competitors were doing;

the senior team would then

focus on corrective actions

they wanted to take. By noon,

regional managers would telephone

district managers, and they would

discuss and agree the changes they

would implement in the next week.

“By noon on Saturday,” Glass said,

“we had all our corrections in place.

Our competitors, for the most part,

got their sales results on Monday

for the week prior. They were

already 10 days behind.”

Delivering a brief

When giving a briefing meeting, choose

the delivery that best suits your speaking

style and the needs of the audience.

There are three forms to choose from:

-^ Memorized presentations These are
delivered verbatim, just as you wrote
them. This gives you total control
over the material, but unless you’re
a trained actor, there’s a risk that
you’ll sound wooden and the material
contrived. Worse yet, you may forget
where you are and have to start again
or refer to notes.

• Scripted briefings These are more
  common, but they can also sound
  stilted. The problem with reading
  is that you risk losing eye contact,
  lowering your chin, and compressing

your vocal pitch. If you do use a

script, rehearse carefully and look

up frequently, making regular eye

contact with your audience.

• Extemporaneous briefings These are
  delivered either without notes or with
  visual aids to prompt your memory.
  They are the most effective choice,
  looking more spontaneous, while
  actually being thoroughly researched,
  tightly organized, and well rehearsed.

of this briefing is to look at budget

projections for the next 90 days.”

Let them know why you’re calling

the meeting now.

US_288-289_Running_Briefings.indd 289 02/06/16 4:36 pm