Exercise · Presentation Skills for Managers
Tough Questions on Cards
Respond to tough questions and glitches in four steps without losing the thread of the talk.
Time35 minutes
ParticipantsGroups of four
Materials10 cards with tough questions and situations
From the trainingPresentation Skills for Managers
Why this exercise
A tough question from the room can derail even a well-prepared talk. In this exercise listeners use cards to play out typical situations: a question about a figure you do not have; "we tried that before"; a sharp question about cost; a senior manager interrupting in the second minute; the projector not turning on; a silent room. The speaker responds in four steps: listen, clarify or restate, answer to the point, return to the topic. The key principle: separate the tone from the content and never make up an answer.
How to run it
- Split the group into fours, each with a set of 10 cards.
- The speaker takes one minute to set out the main point of their talk.
- One of the listeners draws a card and plays out the situation: asks the question, interrupts or announces the glitch.
- The speaker responds using the four steps — up to two minutes. The group notes in one sentence what worked.
- Switch roles: everyone responds to two cards.
Debrief questions
- Which card was the hardest?
- What helped you answer to the point rather than argue?
- Which three questions are you most likely to be asked in your own talk?
Tips for the facilitator
- Ask people to play it "as in your own meetings", not harder: the aim is to practice the response.
- If an answer turns into a second talk, set a limit: two sentences and the question "Have I answered your question?"