Chapter Sixteen

The Role Model

We will go around, over, through, on top, underneath, and any other way to get through!¹

General Norman Schwarzkopf

U.S. Army, Commander Desert Storm

Just as a parent cannot have a favorite child, it is difficult for an author to choose a favorite work or for a coach to have a favorite technique, but of all the techniques you’ve learned in this book, the one that exerts the most control is the Buffer. In Chapter Eight, I analogized the Buffer with martial arts because both serve to deflect aggression rather than attempt to counter force with force. Or, to reiterate General Sun Tzu from the epigraph of that chapter:

To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.²

Nearly two and half millennia after Sun Tzu, another general—although engaged in an intense military battle in which his forces were countering enemy forces with force—gave a master class in the most advanced form of Buffering: Key Word(s)—without any Paraphrases or Double Buffers to buy thinking time. His master class was also a model of listening, answering, and Topspin.

During the 43 days of the Gulf War, General Norman Schwarzkopf held about half a dozen press conferences in the Desert Storm press room in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Each of those sessions was very brief, but despite such minimal exposure, “Stormin’ Norman,” as he came to be known, became an instant global celebrity. He attracted attention because, in each of those sessions, broadcast live around the world, the general exhibited complete command and control in handling the journalists’ questions, using all the same techniques you’ve learned in this book. That’s why he’s our culminating positive role model (see Figure 16.1).

A particular case in point is the press conference of February 24, 1991. After nearly a month of air bombardments, the coalition forces launched a massive ground offensive, and Schwarzkopf came to the lectern to describe the first day’s actions to the pool of reporters.

He began the session by reading a brief opening statement he ended with the following words:

So far, the offensive is progressing with dramatic success. The troops are doing a great job. But I would not be honest with you if I didn’t remind you that this is in the very early stages, we are a little more than twelve hours into this offensive, and the war is not over yet.

Then Schwarzkopf removed his eyeglasses and looked out at the roomful of reporters and said:

That concludes my prepared comments, and I am now ready to take a very few questions.

“A very few questions.” In fact, the entire Q&A session ran just two minutes and 48 seconds in real time, during which the general fielded 10 questions. The role model did what you must do in your sessions: manage the time. Schwarzkopf started by setting the audience’s expectations, and so must you. When you open the floor to questions, you can say that you have no time for questions or that you have all the time in the world; either way, set the timeline. Schwarzkopf did, and then proceeded to fulfill it. He continued his time management by counting down the last few questions toward the end.

But first things first. When Schwarzkopf opened the floor, a reporter asked:

Can you give us an idea of how long, based on what you know now, if things go according to plan, how long do you anticipate this thing is going to last and how do you account for the fact that the opposition has been so light so far?

A double question: “How long?” and “Why so light?” If you get multiple questions, pick only one, Buffer it, answer it, and then say, “You had another question.” Because Schwarzkopf was confident he could remember the two, he committed to answering both by starting with “First of all...”

First of all, I want to say that the opposition has probably been so light so far because of the excellent job that all of the forces have to date done in preparing the battlefield. With regard to your second question, it’s impossible to say how long it’s going to take…

“It’s impossible to say how long it’s going to take”—meaning that Schwarzkopf had no intention of answering the other question about forecasting the length of the battle. Instead, he said:

Let me put it this way. It’s going to take as long as it takes for the Iraqis to get out of Kuwait and the United Nations resolutions to be enforced.

“…the Iraqis to get out of Kuwait and United Nations resolutions to be enforced” was Schwarzkopf’s Topspin to Point B.

If, after your business presentation, you are asked, “How long is it going to take until you release the next version of your product?” you can Buffer using the Roman Column time:

It’s impossible to say how long it’s going to take…

Now, having earned the right by giving a candid answer, you can move on to your Topspin:

…but I can tell you that when the next version is released, it will have the same high quality as all the other products in our superior pipeline and produce the same rich set of benefits to our customers.

That’s your Point B and your audience’s WIIFY. Seize the opportunity.

The general then recognized the next reporter, who asked:

There have been some reports that there has been an ongoing situation, but can you at least tell us whether we have any forces in Kuwait City? There have been reports of some paratroopers seen over Kuwait City, these reports by Kuwaiti residents.

The Roman Column in this question was about confidential strategic information that the general could not possibly tell to a worldwide television audience which was sure to include Iraqi intelligence. In business, Q&A sessions often occur at conferences where competitors are very likely to be in the audience. No businessperson has any obligation to reveal strategic information nor do military spokespersons. Schwarzkopf asserted his position by just saying “No”:

I’m not going to in any way discuss the location of any of the forces involved in the battle to date.

Without missing a beat, the general then turned to another reporter, who asked:

General, have any U.S. or allied troops encountered chemical or biological weapons?

The Key Words in the question were “chemical or biological weapons” and Schwarzkopf rolled them into his answer as a Buffer.

We had some initial reports of chemical weapons, but those reports to date, as far as we’re concerned, have been bogus. There have been no reported chemical weapons used thus far.

Just like Colin Powell, Norman Schwarzkopf used the Key Words as his Buffer. And like Powell, not once during the entire Q&A session did Schwarzkopf use a Double Buffer such as “You’d like to know if our troops encountered any chemical or biological weapons,” or a Paraphrase such as “Did our troops encounter any chemical or biological weapons.” In each of the ten questions Schwarzkopf fielded, he Buffered only with the Key Words and rolled them into each of his answers. Remember that the Key Word Buffer provides no thinking time but, when you get it right, the speed of your response makes you appear thoroughly prepared and in complete control.

The next reporter asked:

Would you say that things are going better than you expected at this stage or about on par or slightly worse?

Better, on par, or slightly worse? A multiple-choice question with three options. Schwarzkopf, being a Topspinner, chose the high ground:

So far we are delighted with the progress of the campaign.

This next question came from a reporter who—as someone in your audience is very likely to do—asked a convoluted question, made more convoluted by a halting delivery:

With one exception—un—the—uh—contact with the enemy was described—you say—as light. Can you provide any details at all…

Schwarzkopf started to answer before the reporter even finished:

…about the exception?³

Before you see the general’s answer, think. Specifically, what does the reporter want to know? The rest of this page is left blank for you to think about your answer.

The reporter wanted the general to provide details of the “exception” to the “light” or the heavy engagement. Did you get it? Schwarzkopf did. Here is his answer:

This afternoon, about two hours ago, one of the Marine task forces was counterattacked with enemy armor. The Marines immediately brought their own artillery to bear; they also brought their anti-tank weapons to bear. We also brought our Air Forces to bear, and the counterattack was very quickly repulsed, and they retreated. I can’t tell you the exact number or loss of tanks…

“I can’t tell you the exact number or loss of tanks.” In other words, he did not give the reporter any of the details she wanted. Schwarzkopf’s reply was entirely Topspin: “…artillery, anti-tank weapons, Air Forces…” In essence, “We kicked their tails!”

…but there were several tanks that were lost in that particular battle. About two more questions.

“About two more questions.” Now he started to count down and, as he did, his answers became shorter and shorter. He also refused to take follow-on questions (a privilege you do not enjoy in business Q&A sessions). The next reporter asked:

Has the resistance been light simply because the Iraqis are retreating, or are they simply not engaging you, or are they surrendering? What exactly are they doing?

The epitome of succinctness, Schwarzkopf replied:

All of the above.

Another reporter asked:

You say the opposition is light. Is this because you have avoided a frontal confrontation with them, or are you going around, or over, and is that why there is little opposition?

Schwarzkopf responded:

We will go around, over, through, on top, underneath, and any other way to get through!

The same reporter tried a follow-on question:

General, have you gone through sir? Is that why it’s light?

Ignoring the man, Schwarzkopf turned to another and pointed:

One more.

This journalist asked:

General, have you encountered the Republican Guard yet?

Moving briskly, Schwarzkopf responded:

Some.

This journalist also tried a follow-on question:

What kind of resistance have you gotten from that?

Schwarzkopf also ignored this follow-on question and turned to another man:

Alright, last question.

The last question came from a reporter in a striped shirt:

General, are you going to pursue the Iraqi soldiers into Iraq, or are you going to stop at the Kuwait–Iraq border?

Schwarzkopf looked straight at the man and said:

I am not going to answer that. We are going to pursue them in any way it takes to get them out of Kuwait.

Then the general slapped his palm on the lectern, turned on his heel, and walked out, saying over his shoulder:

Thank you very much.

One of the other reporters called after him:

General, when will we see you again? Tomorrow at six?⁴

The general did not reply. He left his last words trailing in his wake, resonating throughout the press room, and out into millions of television screens around the globe: “We are going to pursue them in any way it takes to get them out of Kuwait,” his Point B, his Topspin.

General Schwarzkopf had a number of unique control factors working for him that you and most people in business do not share. In his press conferences, he was the solicited party, and his audiences were the solicitors. In your Q&A sessions, the shoe will be on the other foot: you will be the solicitor, and the audiences you are trying to persuade will be the solicited. Most of Schwarzkopf’s information fell under the cloak of tactical secrecy; most of your business information must be open and aboveboard. Schwarzkopf had no need to give his media audience the one WIIFY every journalist wants: news; you have an obligation to give your audiences as many WIIFYs as you can.

Nevertheless, Schwarzkopf serves as an excellent role model for all the techniques you’ve learned.

■ Summary ■

To summarize all that you’ve learned in this book even further, Figure 16.2 is a simple graphical representation of the dynamics of a conventional Q&A scenario. The first downward triangle in black indicates a challenging question, plunging at you like a dart to the heart. Most presenters, being results driven, rush to provide an answer, parallel to the question, represented by the downward white triangle.

To assert control in your Q&A exchange, listen for the Roman Column during the question in the black triangle. Then intervene with the two upward gray triangles (in Figure 16.3).

The first gray triangle is a Buffer composed of the Key Words of the Roman Column, and the second gray triangle, which brackets the answer, is Topspin to your Point B and/or your audience’s WIIFY. These upward thrusts control the dynamics of the exchange. Between the two, you must provide an answer or a valid reason not to answer.

The winning sequence is:

• Use Active Listening to identify the Roman Column

• Buffer to neutralize with only the Key Word(s)

• Provide a quid pro quo answer with supporting evidence

• Topspin to Point B and/or WIIFY

Managing all these techniques is no easy matter, for they require an entirely new set of skills that are contrary to natural human instincts and to legacy business practices. The challenge is then doubled: to overcome the instincts and to learn the new skills. It is a task well worth the effort, for the outcome is also doubled: Survive in the line of fire—and thrive.

The last sentence is my Topspin to a WIIFY for you. Good luck!