Office politics: 5 tips for winning your next ‘debate’

So how did Romney sweep the networks?

It was simple. They agreed that Romney came out swinging and Obama looked like he wanted to be anywhere but where he was.

So other than whom you may vote for, what is there to learn from this debate? And why should it matter to you?

Every office has politics and you want to win your next pitch to colleagues, supervisors, or the board.

Here are five tips that you can take away to win your next “debate”:

Know your goal

This is the most important step in your preparation. What is your goal? Who are you trying to win over? What is your desired outcome? Should you be directing your responses to someone other than your opponent? Maybe another co-worker?

Know who you want to influence and what you want from them. President Obama appeared to forget that he should focus on speaking to the viewers at home and not the moderator or auditorium audience. This approach early in the broadcast meant he was not winning over viewers that might be moved to vote for him; meanwhile Gov. Romney hammered single points again and again to home viewers.

It’s worth repeating: Know your goal.

Be prepared and stay calm