What do you do when there’s an elephant in the room?
The project went badly. The leadership made a mistake. There’s a lawsuit the company is going to have to deal with.
Do you address it yourself, or wait until a questioner brings up the lurking pachyderm?
My advice, in most cases, is to go ahead and address it yourself. That way, you get to set the terms of the discussion. Think through exactly how you want to talk about whatever your elephant is: how can you frame this topic to lead to a productive outcome? What can you share that supports your version of the story?
If you wait until someone else brings it up, you’re ceding control of the narrative to them. The way they talk about it, the questions they ask, will influence how the discussion unfolds.
Better to shine the spotlight on your elephant yourself.
Can you tell I’m excited that my book,Before You Say Anything: How to Have Better Conversations, Love Public Speaking, and Finally Know What to Do with Your Hands, is out in the world? As a reader of this blog, you already know some of what you’ll see in the book. Is there someone you know who would appreciate it and benefit? Send them to this link! They can order the ebook or print version, and the audiobook will be available next month!
