Communicating Under Pressure

There are always situations in which you need to communicate fast and clearly. Especially in a crisis, in new situations, or when there is time pressure. The STICC protocol helps you achieve this. The STICC Protocol was developed by psychologist Gary Klein as a tool for managing the unexpected. STICC stands for: Situation, Task, Intent, Concerns, Calibrate and is a technique for productive communication about what to do when you face a new, unexpected situation. This is what it means: S - Situation = Here’s what I think we face. The leader summarizes how they see the situation, problem, or crisis at hand. T - Task = Here’s what I think we should do. The leader explains their plan for addressing the situation, problem, or crisis at hand. I - Intent = Here’s why I think this is what we should do. The leader explains the reasons why they think this is the best way of addressing the situation, problem, or crisis at hand. C - Concerns = Here’s what we should keep our eyes on. The leader mentions possible downsides or future consequences of the solution suggested to be taken into account as well. C - Calibrate = Now talk to me and give me your views. The leader asks others in the team to give their feedback and viewpoints, and especially invites them to disagree and add. This technique helps you in managing pressured situations in three ways: First, once something unexpected happens, it helps to develop appropriate responses. The five steps are aimed at discussing with a team what to do in cases that are not familiar. Through its focus on concrete action, on gathering different viewpoints, and on speed, the STICC protocol is a quick way to take appropriate action in new situations. Second, in step 4 (Concerns), you open up the discussion for further uncertainties and other changes that may follow. In this way, you mentally prepare people that there will always remain uncertainties. This helps in developing a crisis-ready mindset that is not only helpful in the current crisis, but also in the next. Third, the fact that a constructive dialogue takes place also facilitates communication and mutual learning. Even though the leader brings the suggestions here, it is the team together that comes to a solution. And while doing that, they learn together and from each other in an open and adaptive way, which helps further prepare them for future crises. My advice: use STICC whenever you have to communicate fast and clearly. === Follow me or subscribe to my Soulful Strategy newsletter for more: https://lnkd.in/e_ytzAgU #communicationtips #agile #teamexercise

As a leader, the WAY you deliver bad news often matters more than the news itself. Your team could walk away feeling deflated or inspired. But many leaders barrel forward with the conversation before they’re clear on what kind of message they need to convey. If you accidentally convey the wrong kind of message (even if it’s clear and transparent), you can drain your team’s trust and morale. That’s why you need to be clear on what kind of message you’re delivering before you communicate anything. This starts by asking yourself two questions: 1. Can we fix this? 2. Where does this problem come from? Those two answers determine which of four “bad news” messages you are delivering, and each one requires you to show up differently. 1. The “Fix It” Message When your organization created the problem, and it’s solvable, own it completely. My firm once hired the wrong agency to rebuild our website.  It cost us $300,000, inbound traffic collapsed, and our business stagnated. As an executive team, we owned it, communicated often, and reported progress openly. It took almost two years, but we fixed it. 2. The “Bounce Back” Message When external forces create the problem, but you can adapt, stay calm and specific. Your team needs to know how you’ll adapt and what success looks like. When COVID froze travel, Airbnb's CEO cut 25% of the workforce but explained why clearly and rallied the remaining team. That clarity helped them recover and IPO months later. 3. The “Shut It Down” Message When something isn’t working, and it’s time to end it, create closure. Honor the work, extract the learning, and spell out where resources will go next. Instagram’s cofounders shut down their AI news app a year after launch because the market opportunity wasn’t big enough to justify ongoing investment. They praised the team’s work while framing the closure as a strategic necessity. 4. The “Move On” Message When the world changes in ways that make your path untenable, help people release the past. Steve Jobs held a funeral for the old Mac operating system.  Organ music played, and a coffin sat on stage. The message was unmistakable…stop building for the old world and move your energy to Mac OS X. Each message needs empathy, appreciation, honest disclosure, and persuasion about what comes next. If you can name which moment you are in, you can communicate what your audience needs to hear. #Leadership #ExecutiveCommunication #ChangeManagement #CrisisCommunication

Confession: I'm a nervous public speaker… (yet I’ll make $1M+ from keynotes this year). Here are 9 strategies that turned my deepest fear into a powerful strength: PHASE 1: PREP WORK Strategy 1: Study the Best. We have the world's best speakers at our fingertips. Use them. Find 3-5 speakers you admire. Watch their talks on YouTube at 0.75x speed. Take notes on their structure and pacing, voice modulation, movement and gestures, audience engagement. Strategy 2: Create Clear Structure. Great speakers don't deliver speeches, they tell stories. Map your journey explicitly: opening hook, 3 key points, memorable close. Tell the audience where you're taking them. Strategy 3: Build Your "Lego Blocks." Don't memorize your entire speech. That's a trap. Instead, perfect these moments: your opening 30 seconds, key transitions, punchlines and closers. Practice in segments, not sequences. When things go sideways (they will), you'll adapt instead of freeze. Weird trick: Practice once while walking or jogging. It simulates the heart rate spike you'll feel on stage. PHASE 2: PRE-STAGE Strategy 4: Address the Spotlight. The Spotlight Effect: We think everyone's watching our every move. They're not. Use the "So What?" approach: Name your worst fear, ask "So what if it happens?", realize it's never that bad. You'll stumble? So what. Life goes on. Your family still loves you. Strategy 5: Get Into Character. Create your speaker persona. Ask yourself: What traits do they have? How do they move? What's their energy? Flip the switch. Become that character. It's not fake, it's your best self. Strategy 6: Eliminate Stress. The "Physiological Sigh" kills anxiety fast: Double-inhale through your nose, long exhale through your mouth, repeat 2-3 times. Science-backed. Immediate impact. PHASE 3: DELIVERY Strategy 7: Cut the Tension. Last week, they asked what song I wanted to enter to. I said "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys. They thought I was joking. I wasn't. "It's my 1-year-old's favorite song. Figured he'd be more excited to watch if Dad entered to his jam." Instant laughter. Tension gone. Audience on my side. Find your tension breaker. Use it early. Strategy 8: Play the Lava Game. Your pockets and torso are lava. Don't touch them. This forces you to gesture broadly, open your body, project confidence. Big gestures early build momentum. Strategy 9: Move Purposefully. Don't pace like you're nervous. Move like you own the room. Slow. Deliberate. Purposeful. Use movement to create dramatic pauses. Let your words land. Start with one speech, one strategy: Pick your next presentation—could be a team meeting, a toast, whatever. Choose ONE strategy from this list. Master it. Then add another. Public speaking is a muscle. These strategies are your workout plan. The more you practice, the stronger you get. Remember: Everyone gets nervous. The difference is having a system. Now you have one. Use it. Practice it. Watch yourself transform.

After 100+ MUNs, 50+ keynote sessions, and public speaking events at IIM,IIT,DU Here are 10 hacks that help me perform under pressure: 📌 Use the “3-Second Rule” Start speaking within 3 seconds of reaching the podium. The longer you wait, the harder it gets. 📌 Speak in 3-Point Structures People remember things better in threes. Instead of rambling, structure your speech into three key points. 📌 Power Pause for Impact Before making an important statement, pause for 2-3 seconds. It builds anticipation and makes your words more powerful. 📌 Control Your Tempo Nervous speakers talk fast. Slow down—pausing between ideas makes you sound more authoritative. 📌 Eye Contact = Confidence Instead of scanning randomly, focus on one person for 3 seconds, then move to another. This creates a natural rhythm. 📌 Master “Bridging” Phrases If you forget what to say, use phrases like: “Another key point to consider is…” “What’s important to remember is…” This keeps your flow intact. 📌 The 4-4-4-4 Breathing Trick Before speaking, do this Navy SEAL breathing technique: Inhale for 4 seconds Hold for 4 seconds Exhale for 4 seconds Hold for 4 seconds It instantly calms nerves. 📌 Start with a Question Instead of a boring introduction, grab attention with a thought-provoking question. Example: “What if I told you that confidence is actually a skill, not a talent?” 📌 Practice in High-Pressure Situations Rehearse with loud music in the background (trains focus). Stand on one leg while speaking (improves balance). Record yourself & analyze (spot weaknesses). MOST IMPORTANT: ⭐ Smiling and using open hand gestures makes you look approachable and confident. Avoid crossing your arms or fidgeting. 🍪 Bonus Tip: Public Speaking = Repetition The best speakers aren’t born—they train like athletes. The more you practice, the better you get. Which tip are you trying first? Let me know! LinkedIn LinkedIn News LinkedIn Guide to Creating #linkedin #publicspeaking #linkedintips #linkedinnews

What if you had to achieve the same results with half the resources? Years ago, I ran a workshopping exercise with 90 magazine editors. It was called The 8 Page Magazine. I set the scene: a surprise paper shortage had been announced, and the government had decreed that, for the rest of the year, all magazines must be printed on just 8 pages. The editors had 20 minutes to plan their magazine within this extreme constraint. Their reactions were revealing. Some tried to cram everything in — every feature, every column — just in miniature. The result? A cluttered, unsatisfying mess. But the smartest editors made tough choices. They stripped the magazine down to its essence, giving just three or four key elements the space to breathe. Then I asked them: “Now that you’ve decided what’s really important, what happens if you go back to your normal number of pages?” The impact was transformative. Their magazines became cleaner, more purposeful, and more impactful. They focused resources on what mattered — and cut the clutter. This exercise wasn’t just about magazines. It’s a lesson for any business facing constraints: → What if you could only serve half your customers but twice as well — who would you choose? → What if you could only sell one product — what would it be? → What if you diverted half of your budget into a new area — where would you launch something new? Scarcity forces clarity. Constraints drive creativity. Sometimes, the best way to grow bigger is to think smaller. Is there an 8 Page Magazine moment in your business?

How do you prepare for the unexpected? These are my 8 best tips: The best communicators don’t just survive. They thrive under pressure. They’re not just resilient; they’re antifragile. What does that mean? They grow stronger with every challenge, critique, or unexpected curveball. That’s crucial because there is no such thing as a perfect talk, conversation, or presentation: → You get a nasty question → The tech doesn’t work → You are sleep-deprived → The audience looks at their phones and ignores you. What do you do? Training hundreds of CEOs, I always made sure they can excel in any situation, not just when the conditions are perfect. Because they never are. Here are 8 ways to become an antifragile communicator: 1️⃣ Embrace feedback as fuel: Every critique is an opportunity. Seek it out. It’s where growth begins. 2️⃣ Expect things to go wrong: No plan survives contact with the audience. Build mental flexibility. 3️⃣ Remember, don’t memorize: A rehearsed script lacks soul. Create an outline and remember key messages, opening & ending. 4️⃣ Be ready to speak without aids: Tech can fail. Train to deliver without mic, slides or notes. (It’s easy once you understand structures) 5️⃣ Prepare for tough questions: Every question, objection, and interruption is a chance to shine. 6️⃣ Strengthen your core message: Clarity is power. When you know your purpose and message inside out, you can handle anything thrown at you. 7️⃣ Learn bridging: The answer-bridge-communicate (ABC) method allows you to bring everything back to your message. 8️⃣ Speak from peak states: Harness your optimal emotional, mental, or physical state to make your communication more impactful, authentic, and engaging. The best communicators adapt to the moment. What’s your best tip to prepare for the unexpected? ♻️ Please share with your network & follow Oliver Aust for daily tips on leadership communication.

“He lost the biggest deal because of ONE word.” I still remember sitting at the back of that glossy boardroom—mahogany table, chilled air-conditioning, the faint smell of freshly brewed coffee in the corner. The sales director I was training stood tall, suit perfectly pressed, eyes sharp with ambition. The client leaned forward and asked, “So… can you deliver?” There was a pause. Silence heavy enough to hear the ticking of the wall clock. And then came the reply that changed everything: 👉 “We’ll try our best.” Those four words were softer than they seemed. To the director, it sounded humble. To the client, it screamed uncertainty. You could almost feel the energy in the room shift. Shoulders stiffened. Eyes averted. Pens stopped scribbling. And within days, a $10 million deal slipped away—not because of strategy, not because of numbers… but because of words. 💔 That day, the director told me: “I didn’t know such a small phrase could cost me so big.” And that’s where our real training began. I showed him the power of certainty words: • Instead of “We’ll try” → “We will.” • Instead of “Hopefully” → “Here’s how we’ll make it happen.” • Instead of “Maybe” → “This is the plan.” The next time he stood in front of clients, his voice carried conviction, not caution. He didn’t just speak; he transmitted confidence. And the deals started coming back. 🌟 Lesson: In high-stakes communication, words are not fillers. They are weapons. They win trust. They decide millions. If you’re leading a Fortune 500 team, training your leaders on this is not optional. It’s survival. #CommunicationSkills #ExecutivePresence #SoftSkillsTraining #Leadership #Fortune500 #BusinessGrowth #Storytelling #Negotiation #Boardroom

19 years ago, I used to get incredibly nervous before speaking on stage. Racing heart. Tunnel vision. Dry mouth. Today, half of my job is being on stage. Here’s my 7-step pre-stage checklist for how I conquered stage fright: (Before you step on the stage) Step 1: Set One Clear Intention Nerves often come from scattered thoughts.  So anchor your mind with a single, positive goal: • For a pitch: “Get the buyer to sign and stay firm on numbers.” • For a presentation: “Connect with the audience and deliver value.” Avoid negatives like “don’t mess up.” Your brain clings to “mess up.” — Step 2: Pick a Focal Point Choose a random spot in the back of the room (or bring a grounding object, like a pen). Right before you begin, mentally send all your nervous energy there. It gives your brain somewhere to “put” the anxiety - and frees you up to focus. — Step 3: Breathe Mindfully Most people shallow-breathe when they’re nervous. This just worsens anxiety. Do this instead: • Close your eyes • Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth • Push your belly out with each inhale (deep belly breathing) — Step 4: Release Muscle Tension Anxiety makes us clench everything - jaw, shoulders, stomach. This kills blood flow and increases anxiety. Instead, start at your head or toes and relax each muscle group with one breath: • Relax your face and eyes • Relax your jaw and neck • Loosen shoulders and chest • Relax arms and hands • Relax your stomach and abs • Continue down to your toes You’ll feel calmer and more grounded instantly. — Step 5: Find Your Center Before going on stage, shift your focus to a spot 2 inches below your belly button. This is your physical center - used by athletes and performers to stay grounded. As you breathe, imagine calm radiating from that point. During your talk, return to it anytime nerves creep in. It’s your internal anchor. — (While you’re on stage) Step 6: Repeat Your Process Cue This is your personal “how” mantra. • Interviewer: “Smile and ask great questions.” • Speaker: “Keep it warm and engaging.” • Performer: “Smooth and steady.” Keep repeating it silently throughout to stay focused and intentional. — Step 7: Direct Your Energy Feel the nerves rising? Don’t fight them - redirect them. Use your focal point from Step 2. Mentally “throw” your anxious energy toward it. It’s like dropping a heavy backpack: instant relief. __ Save this post and come back to it before your next big moment. Whether it's a presentation, interview, or performance, these steps will help you show up as your most confident, centered self.

The higher the stakes, the harder it becomes to hear yourself think. When tension rises, the default is to speed up. Fill the silence. Push through uncertainty with urgency. But some of the worst decisions get made in that headspace. Clarity doesn’t come from pressure. It comes from presence. Simple practices like breath awareness and short pauses between meetings aren’t soft skills. They’re structure. They allow leaders to observe before reacting, and to respond without bringing yesterday’s stress into today’s conversation. Decision quality improves when the nervous system is calm. Not passive. Not disengaged. Just steady. I’ve found that centered leadership doesn’t just benefit the person making the call. It shifts the energy in the room. It creates space for better thinking, deeper listening, and more resilient outcomes. If you’re navigating complexity, try slowing down your response time—not your progress. Presence might be your most underused advantage.

I saw a masterclass in empathy. A customer at Raw Juice in Boca Raton hands Alexa, the manager, a coupon. The problem? The coupon is from another Raw Juice. And since each store is independently operated, the coupon isn't valid. Here’s how Alexa responded: “Thank you for coming back. I know this isn’t something you want to hear. Since each Raw Juice is independently owned, coupons aren’t transferable. You couldn’t have known that, I will apply the discount anyway.” Customer: “Wow! Thank you!” Alexa: “My pleasure. Our app applies discounts automatically without you having to lug coupons around. If you’d like, I can show you how it works.” Customer: “That would be great.” Brilliant. Here’s why: (Appreciation) “Thank you for coming back.” (Neutralize negative emotions by labeling them. Chris Voss calls this an accusations audit.) “I know this isn’t something you want to hear.” (Clarity) “Since each Raw Juice is independently owned, coupons aren’t transferable.” (Validate) “There’s no way you could have known that, so that I will apply the discount anyway.” (Illuminating a benefit while letting the customer decide) “Our app applies discounts automatically without you having to lug coupons around. If you’d like, I can show you how it works.” Knowing how to deliver “bad news” in a way that lowers resistance is a good skill to master.