Thinking on your feet is a skill that can help you impress others. It’s important to keep control over yourself so that you can devise better answers.

If done poorly it can also cause all kinds of problems for you and others. Often when asked to come up with something on the spot people panic. Which prevents them from coming up with anything at all! Here are some tips for how to get better at thinking on your feet. Think about your response before blurting something out. It is better to give a considered approach than just say anything. When you do say something, keeping it short and to the point is helpful. If you feel tempted to fill the silence, remember this could lead to you saying something that may be inaccurate or get you into difficulties later. Keeping it simple and concise avoids you making that kind of mistake that you might later regret. When in a situation that requires you to think on your feet, remember that listening is an important skill in achieving this. If you listen you gain access to more information that can help you offer a good answer to what you are being asked. The clue to giving a great response may often be in the question itself.

How to get better at thinking on your feet

Another great way to think on your feet is to give yourself a little extra time to do so. There are a few ways to do this. One is by asking the question to be repeated, allowing you to focus on devising a helpful answer. On a similar vein, another is repeating the question back to the person who asked it to clarify your understanding. Both of these approaches give you time to consider your answer more carefully before you respond, to make it look as if you are good at thinking on your feet. Looking the part is half the battle. Asking someone to repeat themselves also may lead to them saying something in a different way. Which may in itself provide you more information on which to base your answer, leading to a better response. A good approach to thinking on your feet is being prepared in advance. That may not sound like thinking on your feet, but actually it allows you to do so more effectively as you have already thought through what you might be asked. If you are planning to discuss a particular topic with someone, thinking about the sorts of questions that person might have for you ahead of time allows you to have a suitable response in mind. This might not work all the time, but it will some of the time, allowing you to be better at thinking on your feet. Thinking on your feet can be hard. If you keep calm, ask for clarification and are prepared, you will improve your ability to do this effectively.  ]]>