Handling questions
These days I have been helping students show up as the best version of themselves for research talks they have to give before the end of the term. A huge part of this is the ability to respond clearly and confidently to questions. For many speakers, the questions are the part of the talk they fear the most, because it feels hard to prepare for what might be asked. But you can set up your talk to get the kinds of questions you want, and for many speakers, questions help them remember to connect with the audience. You aren’t giving your talk in a vacuum; there are real people who want to know more about your work. Questions are an opportunity, and today I share my best advice on handling them well.
There is a formula you can follow (thanks to Janice Smith, Colleen Meyers, and Amy Burkhalter for their book, Communicate, where I originally learned these steps many years ago). Of course you should consider the context of your talk as you deploy the formula, but generally I think it helps speakers build confidence for questions, and keep their authority through the process.
Acknowledge the question. This may seem obvious, but there should be a moment where you receive the question from the speaker and take over. This can be as simple as a nod, saying, “ok,” or saying “thank you.” You can say “good question,” or “interesting,” but be genuine.
Repeat/ rephrase the question. After you have taken in the question, you should try to say it back to the person asking. “So, you are asking about ____?” or “You’d like to know more about ____?” This step does 3 things: you make sure you understand the question (how many talks have you been to where the speaker starts answering, and it’s not what the questioner wanted to know at all?) You make sure the audience heard and understood the question, so you are not having an individual conversation with the questioner, and can use the question to make sure everyone in the room learns from your response. We have all been to talks where we don’t hear someone’s question and then don’t understand the response. This step can help you clarify the question, and it allows you to frame your response intentionally. Remember, people asking questions may be confused about what they are asking, too, so you may also be helping them clarify what they are asking.
Answer. Be brief. Too often, speakers use questions to go off on a long explanation about something they would have wanted to include in their talk. But it’s generally not a good idea to spend too much time on one question, and the ability to be concise demonstrates understanding and professionalism. If you don’t know the answer, say you aren’t sure, and that you will look into it.
Check for understanding/ close. When you are teaching, you really should say something like “did I answer your question?” or “does that help?” In research talks it might not make sense, depending on the context and the audience. But you do need a move that indicates you are done answering and ready for the next question. You could say something like, “I’d be happy to talk more about this.”
As you learn these steps, you can also think about these key tips I am sharing from my main years of observing and giving feedback on research talks, all of which fall under the broad umbrella of maintaining authority. Remember, even if you are being grilled by someone senior to you, it is still your talk and you own the floor.
Take your time. Once you receive a question, take a deep breath and take time to think about how you want to answer it. Steps 1 and 2 help with this, buying you some time to think before you respond. You can even say, “let me think about this for a minute.” You don’t have to react instantly, and in fact, doing so can make you seem defensive. Longer pauses also give the audience time to think and can keep them engaged.
Be open (don’t get defensive). Try to be open to take in what you are being asked, and don’t assume the questioner is trying to point out your shortcomings. Even if they are, being defensive doesn’t help. Take the high road, and use these steps to hold your authority. Don’t say “as I said,” unless you intend to challenge them or call them out. There may be a time you want to do that, but generally it’s best to be positive.
Don’t ramble. Recently I went to a well-designed, compelling talk. But during the Q&A, the speaker completely fell apart. She was rambling and not answering clearly or concisely. Her reaction to the questions was one of defeat; she completely gave up her authority and lost the polish she had shown during the prepared portion. Using some of the strategies her could have helped her maintain her composure and finish the talk strong.
Do you want to learn more about engaged communication, or practice handling questions? Do you have an important talk coming up and want a partner to think through it with you and share feedback? I am here and it’s really my favorite thing to do!
