Leading a Strategic Discussion

• When facilitating executive off-site sessions in Boston or Seattle, leaders must guide complex conversations effectively. Mastering specific functional phrases helps you frame the core issue, steer the dialogue, park tangents, and converge on actionable conclusions.
• Function
• Phrase
• Example
• Framing
• Let me frame the question…
• Let me frame the question around our core profit margins.
• Steering
• Let's pivot to…
• Let's pivot to the logistics overhaul in Chicago.
• Parking
• Can we park that?
• Can we park that until our next quarterly review in Denver?
• Converging
• Where are we converging?
• Where are we converging on this digital transformation project?
• Remember
• Use framing phrases at the start of a session to establish clear boundaries for the discussion.
• Use steering phrases to gently redirect the team when conversations drift away from the primary objective.
• Use parking phrases to defer secondary issues without dismissing colleagues' valuable contributions.
• Use converging phrases to summarise main points and prompt participants toward a definitive consensus.
• Examples
• Let me frame the question regarding our expansion into Manchester.
• Can we park that issue concerning the Seattle office lease?
• Where are we converging regarding the Austin software deployment?
• Common mistakes
• Let me frame about the budget.
• Let me frame the question around the budget.
• Can we park on that topic?
• Can we park that topic?

Complete the sentences

• (frame) ____ regarding our Seattle operations before we review the Chicago financials.
• Before the board meeting in Boston, (steering) ____ toward our competitive advantage.
• That is a valid point, but (park) ____ until our afternoon session in Austin?
• As the workshop in Denver concludes, (converging) ____ on this strategic initiative?
• (frame) ____ so that everyone in the London office understands the parameters.
• Since this debate is expanding, (steer) ____ to the main agenda.

Sources: photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels