Leading Strategic Discussions

• When facilitating executive offsites in Seattle or Boston, revenue leaders must master the art of directing conversations. These phrases help you frame topics, steer discussions, park side issues, and drive toward convergence.
• Function
• Phrase
• Example
• Framing
• Let me frame the question…
• Let me frame the question in terms of our platform play.
• Steering
• Let's bring it back to…
• Let's bring it back to the top-down number for Boston.
• Parking
• Can we park that?
• That is a vital point, but can we park that for the afternoon breakout?
• Converging
• Where are we converging?
• Looking at these options, where are we converging on the revenue mix?
• Remember
• Use framing phrases at the very start of a complex agenda item to align the leadership team.
• Employ steering language gently when a sales director wanders into operational tangents.
• Parking allows you to acknowledge a valid distraction without derailing the strategic timeline.
• Convergence questions force participants to stop diverging and start selecting concrete options.
• Examples
• Let me frame the question around our upcoming international expansion into London.
• Can we park that discussion until we review the board target?
• Where are we converging regarding the new go-to-market architecture?
• Common mistakes
• Let me framing the question about the plan gap.
• Let me frame the question about the plan gap.
• Can we parking that issue for tomorrow?
• Can we park that issue for tomorrow?

Complete the sentences

• Before we debate the budget, (frame) ____ regarding our Chicago expansion.
• That is an interesting detail, but (park) ____ until the afternoon session?
• As opinions scatter across the room, (converge) ____ on this enterprise deal?
• Since the team is drifting off topic, (steer) ____ back to the core pipeline.
• To establish clear boundaries for the debate, (frame) ____ around profitability.
• If this takes too long, (park) ____ for the Manchester follow-up call.

Sources: photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels