How to Answer Questions like a Champ

He was including both action steps and the motivation to take those steps. He did it with a simple structure we call Situation – Action – Results (SAR). As he began to speak, he offered his interpretation of the issue or opportunity they were facing (Situation.) Then he offered a thought or two on which direction he thought would be wisest (Action.) Finally, he left them with the motivation to move in that direction with his forecast of the positive results they’d most likely see (Results.)

Bill Kreiger is a master instructor at iSpeak. He’s an amazing facilitator and a gifted leader. When we were in the studio recently he recorded an example of what this SAR structure looks like when responding to a question. Here’s Bill using SAR to respond to a question about what went wrong.

Describe the opportunity or the challenge you are currently facing. This section can be used to highlight the problems being created by this situation or the high costs of the current situation. If you need to get people emotionally engaged, describing the bad situation and its effects will do that for you!

This is the change your recommending. What are the steps you’d recommend to eliminate the problem? Make sure you point out your research or analysis and support your proposed action steps.

Your audience will be more likely to get on board with your proposal if they see the resulting benefits from the proposed changes. Show them specifically how they will benefit.

Just knowing a subject well doesn’t make us valuable to our organizations. That knowledge only becomes valuable when we can put it to good use. When we communicate and share that knowledge so others can act on it, the knowledge now has worth.