Preparation is not enough when pressure changes access to thinking.
My perspective starts with something I've observed repeatedly in working with accomplished executives.
These are incredibly intelligent, experienced people who can navigate complex business decisions, yet when they're challenged, interrupted, or put on the spot, they can lose their focus, overexplain, or second-guess themselves.
It's rarely because they don't know what they're talking about. It's what happens to their thinking when pressure enters the picture.
And when you've relied on a carefully rehearsed script, an unexpected question or change in direction can make it even harder to find your words.
I know something about that.
One take. One hour later.
I was asked to record a 30-second promotional video for a webinar about how to answer job interview questions to make an impact.
I wanted to get every word right, so I carefully crafted a script, choosing the phrases I wanted to use. Then I started recording. Take after take after take.
When I finally looked at my watch, an hour had passed. For a 30-second video!
I'd gotten so hung up on saying the right words that the whole process had become excruciating. No wonder I hated recording videos!
I'd had enough. I tore up my script and told myself, "Shelley, you've got thirty seconds and one take."
I hit record and, without hesitation, shared a personal experience about being laid off. No editing. No judgment.
I posted the video, and something unexpected happened. It became one of my highest-engagement posts at the time. Webinar registrations increased, and people started sharing their own experiences.
One take. That's all it took.
The irony? I already had a One-Take Video Message drill in my Remarkable Framework. It's a pressure-simulation exercise that helps you practice accessing your thinking when the clock is running.
Think about how much pressure we put on ourselves trying to memorize a monologue, enunciate the third word in the second sentence, "Oh, and remember to smile!"
No wonder I kept stumbling. Trying to manage all those things at once while feeling pressure was like a traffic jam in my brain.
But when I focused on the story I wanted to share, the traffic cleared.
Thirty seconds, one take, and one very genuine video.
Now, imagine what happens when a CEO is trying to recall carefully rehearsed words while responding to an unexpected challenge in a boardroom.
The circumstances are different, but the underlying problem is familiar: trying to get the words right can compete with accessing what you know and responding to the conversation in front of you.
Train for the pressure, not just the message.
In my experience, executive communication training often emphasizes the message, delivery, and preparation.
Those are important, but I look at what happens before the words come out.
How does the nervous system respond to pressure? What happens to attention, memory, and the ability to think clearly? And how does that affect a leader's ability to influence a conversation or move a decision forward?
That's why I train leaders for the pressure, not just the message.
I developed the Remarkable Framework to help leaders build communication skills that hold up under pressure. Its Pressure Response Pathway and practical drills bring together pressure regulation, cognitive focus, and training that recreates the unpredictable situations executives face every day.
They practice handling difficult questions, changing direction, and recovering their thinking rather than relying on rehearsed responses.
The objective isn't to eliminate preparation. It's to develop the ability to access your expertise when the conversation doesn't go according to plan.
More detail does not mean more clarity.
One of the practical exercises within my Remarkable Framework is the Shelley Grinder, a time-compressed speaking drill that helps leaders organize their thinking and articulate their ideas without memorizing a script.
Here's how it works.
Start by speaking about your big idea for 90 seconds. Then repeat it in 60 seconds, and again in 30 seconds.
Finally, return to 60 seconds and express the idea in a more relaxed, natural way.
With each sprint, unnecessary language begins to fade away and the message becomes sharper.
You're not trying to memorize the perfect phrase. You're building the ability to access and articulate your thinking when time is short and pressure is real.
One VP overseeing 700 employees used my Shelley Grinder exercise to sharpen his focus and organize his thinking.
He reported shaving four hours off his meeting time in one week, which he calculated was worth approximately $1,200.
He added that when he considers the time spent in meetings and the salaries involved across his organization, those costs could run into millions.
That's a tangible business result, but the greater value is developing skills he can continue to use and strengthen long after our work together.
What changes when executives stop relying on scripts?
What makes this particularly relevant for highly successful leaders is that they already have tremendous knowledge and experience.
The advantage comes from being able to draw on that expertise when a conversation takes an unexpected turn, respond thoughtfully to challenges, keep competing perspectives focused, and help people move toward a decision.
In practice, that can mean the difference between a discussion that stalls and one that leads to alignment and action.
The goal isn't to memorize a better response. It's to develop the ability to think clearly and communicate effectively when pressure changes the conversation.
That's what I mean when I say: train for the pressure, not just the message.
Continue exploring
Read my LinkedIn post, Communicate Under Pressure with the Shelley Grinder Drill, for a closer look at the exercise.
For more practical exercises, explore my book, Remarkable Speaking: A Framework to Embody Your Voice and Your Vision.
