Make the Connection: Improve Your Communication at Work and at Home

20. Q = A 1

• You’ve just wasted a lot of time and missed an important opportunity to connect with people beyond simply disseminating information. The next time you are asked to give a presentation, consider a few questions: • What can I personally add to the prepared material I am giving to my audience? • What personal or profound experience can I share that drives my message home? • Is there a recent event common to the group that will help them feel more engaged and involved in the presentation? • Is there an example or anecdote that brings my PowerPoint slide or brochure to life? • Finally, why am I here giving this presentation and what right do I have to ask these people to sit through it? As Roger Ailes, CEO of the Fox News Channel and former media consultant to President George H. W. Bush, once said regarding presentations , “You are the Message.” If they don’t believe in you, what makes you think they are going to believe in what you say? Those who ask and answer the questions listed above reap big dividends. Those who don’t are just going through the motions and paying a hefty price. Chapter 20 Q ⫽ A ⫹ 1 Bridging is a communication technique that involves making a transition from a challenging or controversial question back to your main message. It can help you confidently handle any question—hostile or otherwise—whether you’re facing a reporter as tough as Sam Donaldson or an audience member looking to take you on in a question-andanswer session after a speech or presentation. The Power of Passion and Connecting with Others 43 One of the most effective bridging techniques has been developed by Human Resources consultant Don Teff. It’s called the “Q ⫽ A ⫹ 1” formula. Teff says that when asked a question (Q) you should reply briefly and directly with an answer (A). Then you should add a specific point (⫹ 1) that goes directly to the agenda you want to communicate. Roger Ailes, media maven and former communications consultant for Ronald Reagan, uses an excellent example of a Q ⫽ A ⫹ 1 formula in his book You Are the Message: Getting What You Want by Being Who You Are. Ailes cites one of his clients, a member of Congress who was asked by a reporter,“You were pressured by the big chemical companies not to introduce that legislation, weren’t you?” The congressman answered, “I met with everyone involved in this issue, including the environmentalists, the consumer groups, and the companies.” That was the brief answer (A). Then he added the ⫹ 1. “Based on these discussions, all the parties agreed that the industry would set new standards rather than Congress passing a law.” The key here was to give a very brief response to a potentially hostile question rather than getting caught up in a detailed protracted answer or debate. Once that is accomplished, the savvy communicator bridges or makes a transition back to his or her agenda or message. Some people, particularly politicians looking to avoid giving any direct response , bridge from a question directly to their message without providing the slightest response. This is risky, particularly if the reporter or audience member has asked a legitimate question. Your credibility is on the line. A while back, former New York governor Mario Cuomo was pressured very hard during an interview by ABC’s Sam Donaldson with the following question: “Governor, isn’t it true that another group of Catholics has gone to the Pope to ask him to excommunicate you because of your pro-choice position on abortion?” Without losing his cool or missing a beat Mario Cuomo responded, “Sam, I hate to be so precise about the facts. I know it gets in the way of discussion. But no group of Catholics has gone to the Pope. My position on abortion is absolutely theologically sound. But you know Sam, we should forget all the argumentation about Roe v. Wade. The Supreme Court will decide that. What we should do is get all the pro-lifers and all 44 MAKE THE CONNECTION the pro-choicers into a room and get them to figure out how we can help women avoid unintended pregnancies and do it in accordance with their conscience.” Donaldson persisted, saying, “But governor, doesn’t the Pope want to excommunicate you?” Cuomo leaned forward and said, “The Pope has never spoken on Mario Cuomo’s position...