Let’s take a moment to consider a potential work situation. Your supervisor just announced that you and a colleague, Bruce, will have an opportunity to meet with the company’s CEO in two hours to deliver a presentation on your team’s current project. Due to the short notice, Bruce believes your presentation should be an impromptu speech, delivered without notes or a plan. This seems a little risky to you since there is no preparation involved. You want to impress the CEO. You believe your presentation should be written out word for word and read aloud to the audience to make sure every key point is included.
It appears you both have a different idea for the presentation. Under these circumstances, how would you use your relationship building skill to collaborate with Bruce and resolve your differences in opinion? Please select one option below and thoroughly explain why you selected this option to come to a resolution.
Communicate openly and effectively concerning your preference.
Ask another colleague for their input.
Trust Bruce and follow his suggestion.
Typically a substantial post consists of 5-7 sentences,
**1. ** Acknowledge Bruce’s perspective. I would start by acknowledging Bruce’s perspective and why he believes an impromptu speech is the best way to present our project. I would let him know that I understand his concern about the short notice, and that I appreciate his willingness to go with the flow.
**2. ** Explain my perspective. I would then explain my perspective and why I believe a written presentation is the best way to present our project. I would let Bruce know that I want to make sure that we cover all of the key points, and that I am concerned about making a mistake if we don’t have a plan.
**3. ** Brainstorm a solution together. Once we have both shared our perspectives, we would brainstorm a solution together. We would look for a way to compromise that would address both of our concerns. For example, we could agree to create a brief outline of our presentation, but then deliver it in an impromptu style.
**4. ** Be respectful and collaborative. Throughout this process, I would be respectful of Bruce’s opinion and collaborative in our approach. I would listen to his ideas and try to understand his perspective. I would also be willing to compromise and find a solution that works for both of us.
**5. ** Focus on the goal. It is important to remember that we are both working towards the same goal: to give a great presentation to the CEO. We need to focus on the goal and not get bogged down in our differences.
I believe that this approach would be the most effective way to collaborate with Bruce and resolve our differences in opinion. By acknowledging his perspective, explaining my own perspective, brainstorming a solution together, and being respectful and collaborative, we would be able to find a solution that works for both of us and that helps us achieve our goal.
Here are some additional tips for using relationship building skills to collaborate with Bruce:
By following these tips, you can build a strong relationship with Bruce and successfully collaborate on your presentation.