Ask yourself before any conversation: what do you want them to think, feel, and do after you're done? This one question structures your thoughts, saves time, and keeps you focused on outcomes instead of yourself.
Asking this question before every conversation, before every presentation, can help you save a lot of time and also help people feel that you are talking sense. And the question is, what do I want this person, this audience, to think, feel, and do after I've done speaking or presenting? Once you ponder upon that question, it will help you, it will guide you, and it will let you structure your thoughts. So next time you have a highly critical presentation, don't think about yourself. Think about what is it that you want the audience to think, feel, and do after you're done speaking.
