Speaking in lists instantly brings structure to your message.

Task 1

Formulate a list of expected outcomes for your next meeting. And try to make the outcomes countable. Do you want your participants to leave with:

• Two solutions?

• One decision?

• Three suggestions?

• One agreement?

• A set of rules?

• A nod to a new initiative?

• A commitment to three actions?

Practice your list of outcomes by using the phrase:

• “At the end of this meeting you will leave with …”

Use hands to place the outcomes on an imaginary shelf.

Task 2

Build a presentation in three parts using only lists.

Opening: Start with a list of questions: “Welcome. [question 1] [question 2] [question 3] – these are the questions I’d like to answer during the next fifteen minutes.”

The Middle Part: Start the middle part with a list of explanations: “To answer these questions, it’s important to understand [list of explanations]” and end the middle part with: “and with these reasons, we can conclude [list of conclusions]”

Closing: Finish off with a list of required actions: “to proceed with this, we need to [list of actions required]”

Practise this. Vary your hand gestures for each list – you can just switch between shelves, bowling balls, and using your fingers.