How to Influence Anyone, Anywhere, Every Time

CHAPTER 1DIAGNOSING THE WHAT AND THE WHO

Diagnosis starts because there is an event, an important meeting or a key presentation in your calendar. It could be an important conversation or even an interview. Capturing the relevant information for the context is the first step.

What is the context?

What you call the communication ‘event’ matters (see figure 1.1, overleaf). A meeting is different from a discussion. A discussion is different from a debate. If it is in your control, frame the context to serve the audience and outcome. Take these examples:

• ‘Hi Julie, is it possible to have a quick chat about the project for about 30 minutes?’
• ‘Julie, we need to have a meeting about the project; 30 minutes should cover it.’
• ‘Can we workshop an idea for the project, Julie? Thirty minutes max?’

Figure 1.1 Communication contexts

Each of these scenarios is 30 minutes; however, the name provides a different context from Julie's point of view.

Obviously, in a one‐to‐many situation, it could be a presentation, pitch, workshop or panel discussion. Once you've defined the context, the next step is to describe your role. This is straightforward if you are leading the meeting or are the keynote speaker. Often, though, you are part of a team where you could be adding your expertise for a section of the conversation or presentation. This influences the later design and delivery elements. ...