What would you do?

In this exercise, think about how you might best communicate in these situations. This is an
opportunity for you to practice making decisions. The way you choose to handle different workplace
situations should be through good communication practices, but should also allow you to remain
authentic and true to your character.

Scenario 1: You’re in a team meeting where everyone is sharing feedback but your colleague is
dominating the conversation. You have a question but you don’t end up asking it because you’re
scared to interrupt.

Question 1: How could you have participated in that meeting in a more positive manner?

Answer:

Scenario 2: You sent an important email update to a client when you were in a hurry as you were
about to go to a meeting. Later, the client responds to you in a slightly angry tone and you notice you
included some significant errors because you were in a rush.

Question 2: How could you have prepared yourself better in this situation?

Answer:

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Scenario 3: You’ve been asked to give an update on your team to the entire company. You arrive on
the day well prepared with your slides but when you give the presentation you forget what you are
meant to be saying in places and hesitate a lot.

Question 3: How could you better dealt with the reality of your upcoming presentation?

Answer:

Educator feedback on page 3.

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Educator feedback

Question 1 feedback: Try to calm yourself before going into meetings if you’re aware that you have
fear of speaking out. Remember, even if you’re a junior staff member, you were hired for a reason –
to be a participant in the company and to contribute. Next time, if you’re not able to interject while
your colleague is speaking, at the end of the meeting say “Before we close, I didn’t get a chance to
ask a question on a point raised earlier…” and then ask your question with clarity.

Question 2 feedback: It's not a good idea to multitask when you're writing emails. Because you
were in a rush you may not have written the email in a courteous way and this could make the
recipient annoyed. Remember, the tone in an email can be misinterpreted, so always take care when
you write. This will also help you to avoid making important factual errors as well.

Question 3 feedback: The number one thing you should do is prepare not just your slides but what
you want to say. Practice saying it before you deliver your presentation so you know all the things
you need to say and how you want to say them. You can find out more in the Presenting Your Work
with Impact course

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