Lessons from questions that aren't questions...

'I'm sorry about that', my client said after a keynote this week.

Someone had just asked me a 'question'. You’ll know the kind: a critique, not very cunningly disguised as a question mark.

I’d heard the criticism before, so I was ready for it. But even when I haven’t, I don’t mind being challenged. Like anyone, I can get things wrong, and there’s no point having a mind if you’re not willing to change it.

But I’m also not there to win over every single person in the room.

I've learned that if I say something that makes people think, some people won’t like it. Some will disagree with the point, some won’t like the way I've framed it, and some just quite enjoy the sport of arguing in public. 

That’s all fine. People are unlikely to grab the mic in front of their colleagues and challenge something unless they’ve given it at least some thought.

And that means they're engaging with the ideas I'm sharing. 

The last thing I want in a compliance keynote is compliance.