Although I don’t think last night’s debate between Obama and McCain will change the minds of undecided voters, it did provide insight into the characters of each man.  In The Thin Pink Line we so often point out what works and what doesn’t work in negotiations, communications, and how you handle your money.  Last night’s debate was about two men walking another kind of thin line (albeit not pink) and provided us with plenty of lessons.  Here’s how I saw it — I’d be curious to know how YOU did.

• The eyes are the window to the soul.  Did it bother anyone else that McCain stubbornly refused to look at or directly address Obama, even at the moderator’s urging?  If you can’t look an opponent in the eye during a debate, how the heck are you going to handle the delicacies of foreign diplomacy?  In an upcoming post (written before the debate) I talk about the importance of looking people in the eye and actually seeing them, not just looking at them.  Obama’s willingness to do this consistently can be interpreted as a metaphor for how he will “squarely face” the challenges of a President.
•  Specificity instills confidence.  I hope you noticed how Obama answered most questions using the model I’ve given to you in previous posts: a headline comment of a few sentences then quickly down to numbered key points.  When he said “there are four things I would do…” you listened for those four things and it required him to be on point and specific.  In comparison, McCain was vague and used stories to increase his LQ (likeability quotient).  Stories can be a good tactic for conveying important messages, but you also have to include data and facts to support your position.
• Embrace change.  McCain referred to Obama’s ideas and strategies for change as “naive.”  Perhaps they are — but if you don’t embrace change then you’re destined to repeat the past.  And as the saying goes, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always got.”  McCain appeared to me as a man stuck in the 20th century with 20th century ideas and practices.  Obama appeared to me as a man with a vision of what could be — although it’s not tried and true.  Success in today’s volatile business environment requires that you at least be on board with change, even if you’re not driving it.
• Watch the smile.  I tell women this all the time.  Now I’m telling John McCain — the phoney smile  made you look ridiculous.  It clearly was used to cover up contempt and anger. We all are better off when we express our anger in appropriate ways rather than cover it up with absurd forms of body language that others can see through. 
• Answer questions directly.  Both men get an “F” from this coach in that category.  If you’re asked, “What do you think of the proposed economic stimulus plan?” don’t go off on a tangent about the overall economy and how we got into this mess.  A direct question begs a direct answer.  A response such as, “There are three things I like about it and two things I don’t.  Let me explain.” would have impressed me more than what I heard from the candidates last night. 

TAGS: influence skills, Obama vs McCain, Obama-McCain Debate, Presentation Skills