How Quickly Do You Make Decisions?
As a speech coach, I think of “thinking on your feet” in the verbal context: thinking quickly and responding appropriately with words. But—watching the NCAA Final Four and the Championships—both men’s and women’s—gave me a whole new appreciation of thinking on your feet—and reacting. We saw young athletes bringing pressure on the decision-making process. This was a fab lab to study super-fast decision making, which is a valuable tool no matter what you do. How do you channel excitement in the right way for the best result? Do you shoot or pass? Do you set it up for yourself or for someone else?
Holding the ball too long was disastrous in many of the games. Think fast, think smart. You can’t freeze up: not making a decision IS a decision; it’s a choice.
I see 4 basic elements in quick decision making:
1. Prepare. This is the first step in a lot of things: negotiating, speaking about your business, managing people. Basketball players practice every day. They work out in the gym to get their “instrument/body” in shape to do what they do for 40 minutes without fading. To present yourself and your business the best way takes preparation too. Why not shortcut the school of hard knocks by partnering with an expert like me, with 39 years of experience writing and delivering dynamite presentations to audiences of thousands? Just sayin’.
2. Keep your composure. “Don’t put your head down because you miss shots,” UConn Coach Geno Auriemma told his star player, Breanna Stewart. “Do other things to help your team win.” And she did. We need to shake off the last rejection just like athletes shake off the last bad play. We need to clear our mind instantly to make the next intelligent quick decision.
3. Know what you got. If someone is a good “shooter,” others get him the ball. Be honest about your gifts and your limitations, so you can call on others when you need to. Have a support team who have different abilities than yours, and be aware of what those are. You don’t have to do it all.
4. Listen to your “gut” instincts. It takes courage to try a 3-point shot from far away from the basket, instead of shooting a 2-pointer from closer in. (Like my technical language? LOL). In the Final Four game, Shabazz Napier was a scorer; then he was a distributor. He’s really great at listening to his gut, and his team, UConn, won the Championship.
Speaking is “thinking on your feet.” Skill in this area is one of the most effective ways to move your career forward. One quick decision you could make is to take advantage of my FREE 20-minute private call to assess if we are a match for your presentation needs. On the call, you get valuable information about the best way to present yourself and your business, while you assess my skill in grasping your business quickly, and pinpointing the best words for you to use. Then, I will send you some rave reviews from past and present clients, and you can take the time to reflect on the possible outcomes of engaging me as your “speech coach.”
As Coach K, one of my favorite coaches, says, “Making shots counts, but not as much as the people who make them.”