Set the Tone

“Thank you for your time and attention.” Who would’ve thought 7 little words would carry so much meaning…

Whether in an auditorium full of people, a room with a few, or a one-on-one session, I always begin with these seven-words, “Thank you for your time and attention.”

Why? Because this sets the tone for the rest of the engagement. How does it do that?

·         First, I thank the person I’m about to converse with, providing respect

·         Second, it expresses I value this person, for their time and for their attention

·         Third, it also provides an expectation of mutual respect for my time and my attention

… Since we’re about to begin a professional conversation based on mutual respect and value.

It also helps convey what journalists call the “5Ws and 1H”: who, what, when, where, why, and how.  Here, let me show you… for example, we’re going to have a one-on-one conversation in a small room at work to talk about, I don’t know… bagels. I enter the room, bagels in hand, and say, “Thank you for your time and attention.” Then I hand you a bagel.

·         Who: refers to the person or people involved. In this case, you and me.

·         What: the conversation that’s about to occur between you and me is valuable. Why else would we be meeting to talk about bagels? Could be a mid-morning snack but I could’ve easily just dropped the bagel at your desk with a note saying, “here you go.”

·         When: right now.

·         Where: in the room.

·         Why: setting an expectation - because I appreciate your time and your attention, the expectation is you will do the same.

·         How: the manner or process we’re about to engage...  sitting around the small table in the room about to start a conversation about bagels.

Now, I know this example is a bit silly but I think you get the point…

And there are many ways to set this expectation and it doesn’t always have to be the way I do it. I just found it to be a great way to reduce the nervous energy in the room (especially mine), open up the aperture a bit, and let folks know I value them, their time, and their attention. It’s worth saying it again, “Thank you for your time and attention.”

I’d like to hear how you start conversations, what works, what’s awkward.