Thriving in High-Stakes Communications Scenarios

My colleague Brenda and I were running a strategic communication workshop for a well-known company’s finance unit. Everything was going well until the chief executive picked up his phone. Totally preoccupied with it, he started texting feverishly. Like a row of falling dominos, the other attendees began checking their mobiles. Later, we learned a report had been released which negatively affected the company’s stock price and the shareholders were not happy.

We’d been hired to deliver content to help these executives become more effective communicators. But in this plot twist, we had to pivot the client toward managing crisis communications.

Whenever you deliver information in a high-stakes situation, be prepared to flex, pivot and improvise at a moment’s notice. Before I highlight some likely scenarios and the best responses for each, let me take you through a 3-point checklist that can prepare you for the worst.

— Prepare mentally: It’s impossible to anticipate every negative situation but you can come up with some “what if?” scenarios when designing your presentation game plan. These should go beyond the obvious such as your presentation being time shortened or technical glitches which you should routinely prepare for (cloud storage and back up USBs with your data). In every case, include a mental reframe from negative to positive, such as: “OK, I can handle this,” “Let’s pivot to plan B,” or “This is just a glitch; keep focused.”

A brilliant scientist I’d been coaching for an important board presentation ended up having to present while overseas attending to his ill mother. He knew this might be a possibility, and we rehearsed options so he wouldn’t be caught off guard. He forwarded notes with his visuals to the board before the meeting and guided them virtually through the material. After the presentation, they complimented him on staying calm and confident under the difficult circumstances.

— Practice purposefully: I preach this strategy, relentlessly. Athletes walk their race routes and performers run dress rehearsals; presenters similarly need to plan a practice schedule that’s paced in a way to allow for both interruptions and improvisation. Because audiences will pick up on energy drops, think about breaking your content in three chunks. Don’t always practice it from start to finish; try starting one-third of the way in and then stop at a logical transition. Then resume with the last third of your content and focus on nailing your closing line. By practicing in chunks, you’ll become comfortable with all of your content which makes it easier to pick up at any point in the presentation if any interruptions. Consider practicing your presentation using AI tools which provide valuable feedback.

— Know your audience: The importance of this cannot be overemphasized. The more you study your audience, know what matters to them, and determine how your information brings them value, the better prepared you’ll be to pivot. In our presentation to the company finance board, Brenda and I could never have anticipated they’d be distracted by a major stock crash. But we did prepare for the possibility our group’s attention might lapse at some point. Our response was to offer the group a refreshment break, and during that time we quickly came up with a plan. The topic of strategic communication pivoted to an impromptu session on crisis communication, allowing us to make our content even more relevant for the client.

The above checklist is a go-to for each time you prepare to deliver an important message. To accompany that, here are some common presentation glitch scenarios and how to thrive.

1. THE UNEXPECTED TEAMMATE ABSENCE

Scenario: You’ve prepared with your team for weeks but, the morning of the presentation, one of your team members has a family emergency and can’t participate.

Training Drill: The best way to prepare is by knowing each other’s content. Practice presenting the other member’s material as a group so they can provide feedback and help you own their material. Try practicing a ‘dress rehearsal’ both in-person and virtually.

Pro Tip: Don’t let them see you sweat. If things get tense, use a bridge phrase such as, “Let me briefly share what John had in mind here…" Or, “let me fill you in on how John would address your concerns.” Connect the comments, questions, or criticisms to your current discussion. Because your teammate is not there to interact with the audience, be sure to demonstrate their credibility on the topic. You could say “after all the data analysis John’s done for the past two years on this project, he would tell you….”

2. THE 'VOLUNTOLD' INVITE

Scenario: Your senior executive doesn’t have time to deliver the message and asks you to do it with just one hour notice.

Training Drill: Even though you might have only contributed to part of the slide deck, imagine being the one to deliver it. Be sure you know the flow, the themes, transitions, and key points. Focus on what your executive would have said to drive the message home.

Pro Tip: This may be your moment to shine in front of key decision makers, so be sure you open with energy and positivity. Think of saying, “I’m excited that I get to present our information to you.” Represent the group or your executive by using “we” and “us" language, and portray yourself as the information giver.

3. THE DERAILING INTERRUPTION

Scenario: A senior executive challenges your data or logic mid-sentence. Or, two audience members get wrapped in conversation about your topic and are too high ranking for you to simply ignore them.

Training Tip: Assume that you could be disrupted or questioned at any time during your presentation. Try hiding ‘easter eggs’ — hyperlinked areas of a slide which connect to additional information relevant to potential questions. In parts of my Presenting to Senior Executives in the Age of AI LinkedIn Learning course, I share prompts that you can add to an AI tool to help you practice with burning questions on your topic. Record yourself delivering the answers on camera and analyze for your clarity and tone.

Pro Tip: Stay calm and nod as questions come in while gathering your thoughts. Give yourself some additional time by using phrases like, “You bring up an important point…let me show you how we calculated this…” and then hyperlink to supporting data. Never simply guess in your reply; acknowledge if are gaps and commit to followwing up. In the case of the side conversation interruption, consider a line such as, “I see that my data has generated some discussion, would you like to see additional data, or should I continue on to the next slide?”

4. THE AGENDA SHAKE-UP

Scenario: Someone ran over their allotted time, the meeting leader didn’t manage the agenda effectively, and now you’re stuck with less than half the time you’d planned for your topic.

Training Tip: Regardless of whether you’re in the room or waiting patiently just outside, you’ll likely know that this is happening. Train to deliver the highlight 10% of your overall content and have a highlight slide to accompany it. Another good idea: have a ‘leader’s guide’ timeline for your presentation. Mark key checkpoints (e.g., 5, 10, 15 minutes) so you can adjust pacing on the fly.

Pro Tip: This is becoming a theme but I’ll say it again. The more prepared and nimble you are, the better impression you'll make during your presentation.

5. THE DISTRACTED AUDIENCE

Scenario: You cannot anticipate what might compete with the attention of your audience. During a presentation I once gave, the group became completely distracted when catering started setting up the lunch buffet at the back of the room. It wasn’t the noise but the aroma of the foods that drew their attention from me.

Training Tip: Practice changing your intonation to get the audience’s attention or have rhetorical questions that help the audience stay engaged. Prepare a few 'audience hooks' — short, vivid stories or quotes that tie directly to business outcomes. It’s also helpful to know your audience's tendencies. If you've heard that the CFO hardly ever maintains eye contact in meetings, you won't take it personally. Focus more on others in the group.

Pro Tip: All audiences will become distracted from time to time. Stay confident and be attuned to their energy. Changing your actual placement in the room helps, interacting with your visuals and enlarging your gestures are all strategies to help you stay ‘visible’ in the moment. On the verbal side, re-engage with a compelling example or testimonial. Use phrases like, “Here’s how this plays out in our project…” to help harness their focus.

Whether it’s a stock drop, a shortened agenda, or a hungry audience, the high stakes of successful communication demand more than just preparation. It calls for presence, adaptability, and strategic intent. When you train for the unexpected, you don’t just survive the moment, you will lead through it with strength.

For this month’s Stronger Live on Thursday, Oct. 30th (1pm EST), I get the chance to discuss all of this with friend and colleague Dave Yewman. Dave knows all of this first-hand as he coaches and consults with executives in Fortune 100 companies. As you’ll come to see, his stories are the best! We’ll walk through high-pressure scenarios including challenging remote situations that I didn’t cover in the newsletter. CLICK HERE to join us as we share practical strategies to help you stay confident, clear, and in control.

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