Glossary

10/30 Rule This rule is the ratio of content to discussion. For a 30-minute time slot, prepare just 10 minutes of material. Expect 20 minutes of discussion.

30-Second Rule With smartphones so prevalent, you have 30 seconds to announce why you are there and what you want. After that, the executives are surfing the net.

Alpha Male (Female) This term describes a very assertive, controlling person who may dominate meetings by a vocal, emotional, and power differential.

‘B’ Key To blank the screen during visual aid presentations using PowerPoint or Keynote, press the ‘B’ key on your computer keyboard. To see the visual again, press the ‘B’ key again.

C-Level An executive whose title starts with a ‘C,’ e.g., Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), etc.

Coach Someone who can help you prepare for Speaking Up^®. This will be a person who has prior experience with the group you are addressing.

Context At the beginning of the presentation, explain why this topic matters, the history, and perhaps who else has been involved.

Delivery Style The mostly nonverbal ways you deliver the message, i.e., gestures, stance, movement, vocal and facial animation, pausing, and eye contact.

Dry Run A dry run is a rehearsal with colleagues who will give you an audience for a practice session, including tough questions and interruptions.

Dual Screen Mode Your computer image includes both the current and upcoming slide. The audience sees only the current slide.

Elevator Pitch A brief summary of your presentation that includes your (P) position, (R) reason, (E) evidence (P) position: PREP. The elevator pitch can be delivered in less than a minute.

Executives In its most general usage, executives may include anyone from the C-level on down to director level. (The definition varies from one company to another.)

Facilitation (80/20 Rule) Managing the discussion among meeting participants and lowering resistance through listening, paraphrasing, synthesizing, and providing feedback and direction. According to one CEO, 80% of your success depends on your ability to facilitate the discussion while only 20% depends on content.

First Line, Bottom Line This is what you want from the meeting. The bottom line could include head count, project approval and budget, executive buy-in, etc. It is critical to state the bottom line at the beginning of the meeting.

Framed Discussion This term is used to describe an executive presentation.

Graceful Disengagement If all else fails, stop wasting everyone’s time, and acknowledge it is time to stop. Agree to come back later to another meeting.

Hidden Agenda Issues, perhaps long simmering, can derail the orderly flow of the meeting and sometimes create an executive food fight.

Homework Significant time must be spent preparing for the meeting, beyond just the content, slides, and rehearsal. Examples: “socializing” the issues to get advanced perspective and buy-in, surfacing arguments and positions, researching who will be in the meeting, sending review materials in advance, etc.

Improvisation (A common term in both jazz and stand-up comedy) Both jazz musicians and stand-up comics will take what is happening in the moment and move it in a new direction. Similarly, speaking at the top-level requires flexibility to move in and out of content, the emotion in the room, and the needs of the moment.

New Mind Set Speaking Up^® requires a shift in approach in many areas: content, timing, Q&A, visual aids, shifting agenda, etc.

Paraphrasing (Active Listening) Paraphrasing is reflecting back (in your own words) what a questioner is saying or asking. It is the backbone of listening and facilitation skills.

Process Skills That ability to “read the room,” acknowledge what is going on, and move in a new direction.

Question Behind the Question A simple question may be covering a deeper issue. The presenter’s ability to tease out that deeper meaning will help the flow of the meeting.

Read the Room Reading the room is understanding the individual and group dynamics during the meeting. Being sensitive to body language and other nonverbal cues is critical to being able to use this skill. It is both an internal (notice what is happening and determining a strategy) and an external (addressing the issue and determining the next steps) process.

Remote Mouse This tool allows you to move through your slides from anywhere in the room without needing to stand at the computer.

Respectful Collaboration Although Speaking Up^® can be stressful, the executives will respond positively if you come with an attitude of collaboration rather than one of fear or confrontation.

ROI “Return on investment,” indicates to executives how the company will benefit by doing what you are recommending. ROI is most often a financial risk assessment. For an investment, how much return will there be?

Seating Etiquette Not directly stated, there are rules about who sits at the executive table. In many top-level meetings, the presenter demonstrates respect by standing at the front of the table, not sitting with the executive team.

Senior-Executive Filter Filter out raw data and deep detail for the fast-paced executive meeting. Have in-depth, backup information if requested.

Seven Deadly Challenges: These seven challenges are the most common problems that can knock a presenter off track during a top-level meeting.

Decision Maker Leaves: Without warning, s/he gets up and leaves the room.

Disengaged Executives: Executives lose interest in the presentation and begin checking email, surfing the net, or side talking.

Food Fight: Executives are arguing with each other and ignoring the agenda and the speaker.

Energetic Discussion: Executives are thoroughly engaged, offering new ideas, and building on the presenter’s agenda.

Side Talk: Two or more senior people begin talking among themselves.

Time Cut: You expected twenty minutes on the agenda and suddenly you have five.

Topic Change: Executives change focus of the meeting away from the agenda.

Signal-to-Noise Ratio Signal is your message, stated strongly and clearly. Noise is distraction. For example, too much information on your slides or nervous mannerisms get in the way of communication. Senior-leaders want the signal, not the noise.

Speaking Up^® Framework The framework is a way to organize and prepare a senior-level presentation that focuses on putting your bottom line up front, supporting that statement mostly with data (not stories), and including a clear ROI statement.

Sponsor Your sponsor is usually in your functional organization and is the person who gets you on the agenda and brings you into the meeting.

Sponsor (Virtual) Your virtual sponsor may be several levels above you—and may be someone you have never met. Nevertheless, s/he has a stake in you being successful.

Type ‘A’ Personality Many executives have been described as hard-charging, proactive, impatient, and often aggressive personalities. This description overlaps with the “alpha male/female” syndrome.