Civil servants regularly need to answer questions, explain complex issues and handle challenging conversations with no time to prepare. Learn why thinking on your feet is a critical communication skill and how it can be developed.
A press officer picks up the phone. A journalist wants a line on a policy U-turn before the six o’clock bulletin. A caseworker takes a call from an MP’s office chasing a constituent’s case. A policy lead is two questions into giving evidence to a select committee when the questioning moves beyond the brief.
What you say in the first 15 seconds matters. There’s no time to stop and work out the perfect answer. You need to think on your feet. You don’t have time to send a polished follow-up. What’s said is what gets quoted, reported, minuted or remembered.
And in that moment, the quality of the answer can become a judgement about the person, the team and the organisation behind them.
Why communication under pressure matters in the civil service
Civil Servants communicate in high-stakes situations every day. They brief ministers, respond to MPs, speak to journalists, handle enquiries from the public, give evidence to committees, manage stakeholders and explain complex policy decisions. Much of this communication can be prepared in advance. But some of the most important moments cannot:
- Journalists asking unanticipated questions.
- Ministers challenging assumptions in a briefing.
- Members of the public becoming frustrated and demanding a direct answer.
- Select committee members taking the discussion in an unexpected direction.
These situations require more than subject knowledge. They require the ability to think clearly, organise information quickly and communicate a useful answer under pressure.
That is what thinking on your feet means: the ability to organise your thoughts and give a clear, relevant response when you are asked an unexpected question or put under pressure. For Civil Servants, it is a practical communication skill rather than simply a question of confidence.
Why some people struggle to answer unexpected questions
It is easy to assume that people who respond quickly and confidently are simply naturally good communicators. Often, what looks like natural ability is a learned skill. They have learned how to structure their thinking.
Most Civil Service professionals have extensive knowledge of their subject area. They understand the policy, the evidence, the process and the detail. The challenge comes when they have to turn that knowledge into a clear verbal response with only a few seconds to think. Under pressure, most people:
- start speaking before they know their main point,
- give too much background information,
- repeat the question rather than answer it,
- become defensive when challenged,
- lose their structure halfway through an answer,
- focus on everything they know rather than what the other person needs to know, and
- think of a much better response after the conversation has ended.
None of these necessarily indicate a lack of knowledge. They are often symptoms of not having a reliable way to structure thinking under pressure.
The difference between knowing the answer and communicating it
Consider two Civil Servants with exactly the same technical knowledge. Both understand why a benefits application has been delayed.
One is asked about it unexpectedly and begins explaining the full process. They mention the original application, the verification requirements, internal checks, processing times and several possible reasons for the delay.
Five minutes later, the listener still does not know what is happening.
The second Civil Servant approaches the same question differently, using one of the structures taught on Think on Your Feet®:
- What caused the delay: The application required a second identity check.
- Where it stands: That check was completed yesterday and the case has now moved to final decision.
- What happens next: A decision will be issued within five working days, and the MP’s office will be updated once it is made.
The difference is not knowledge or experience; it’s how they structure their response.
The second person has made their thinking easier to follow and, therefore, easier to trust. That ability is not an innate talent that some people have and others don’t. Thinking on your feet can be learned, practised and developed.
Thinking on your feet is a skill
When people talk about someone being “good under pressure”, they often describe it as if it were a personality trait. They are calm, confident and always seem to know what to say.
But effective communication under pressure is not about having the perfect answer immediately. It is about making sense of what you know, deciding what matters and communicating it clearly when the situation is moving quickly.
That requires a different skill set from writing a briefing, preparing a presentation or developing a detailed policy paper. And it is particularly relevant to the Civil Service, where people can move between highly structured work and situations where the conversation is entirely unpredictable.
How can Civil Servants improve their ability to think on their feet?
The answer is not simply to tell people to “be more confident”. Nor is it to give them a script for every possible question. Instead, people need practical ways to organise their thinking when they do not have time to prepare.
That is where Think on Your Feet® comes in.
Think on Your Feet® for the Civil Service
Think on Your Feet® is a Government Campus-approved, two-day programme designed to help Civil Servants communicate clearly and confidently when they have little or no time to prepare.
The programme focuses on what happens in those crucial seconds between a question being asked and an answer being expected. Participants develop practical techniques for:
- organising their thoughts quickly,
- responding to unexpected questions,
- making complex information easier to understand,
- staying clear when challenged,
- answering questions without rambling,
- maintaining control of a conversation, and
- communicating their key message with greater confidence.
The techniques are designed for real working situations, not just formal presentations. That means they can be applied when briefing a minister, answering questions from a journalist, responding to an MP’s office, handling a difficult stakeholder conversation, giving evidence to a committee or speaking to members of the public.
It is not about teaching people what to say
Civil Servants already know their subject matter. The challenge is often knowing how to communicate that knowledge when the question is unexpected and the pressure is on. Think on Your Feet® doesn’t give participants a script for every situation; it gives them practical thinking and communication techniques they can adapt to different situations.
The result is not a rehearsed response. It is the ability to respond with greater clarity, structure and confidence when there is no time to rehearse.
Why this matters to Civil Service organisations
The benefits extend beyond the individual. When people can communicate clearly under pressure, organisations can handle difficult conversations more effectively, reduce unnecessary escalation and make complex information easier for others to understand. That matters when the conversation is:
- with a journalist working to a deadline,
- with an MP’s office chasing a constituent’s case,
- with a member of the public making a complaint,
- in front of a select committee,
- at a public consultation,
- with a minister asking an unexpected question, or
- with a stakeholder who needs an answer now.
Every one of those interactions can affect confidence in the individual and the organisation they represent. For the Civil Service, the ability to think on your feet is therefore more than an individual communication skill. It is part of communicating effectively, maintaining trust and representing the organisation well when it matters most.
The fifteen-second test
The moments that shape how the Civil Service is seen do not happen only in formal meetings. They happen on the phone. In the committee room. At the podium. In a team meeting. At a public consultation. In a briefing with a minister.
And in the few seconds after someone asks a question nobody expected. Civil Servants cannot predict every question they will be asked. But they can develop the skills to respond when the unexpected happens.
The first 15 seconds may be enough to shape the impression they take away.
Give your people the skills to think clearly and communicate confidently when they’re put on the spot. That’s what Think on Your Feet® is designed to do.
- Find out more about Think on Your Feet®.
- Government Campus: Enquire or book for your organisation.
- Public workshops: View upcoming dates and availability.
- In-house training: Enquire about training for your team.
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean to think on your feet?
Thinking on your feet means being able to organise your thoughts and communicate a clear, relevant response when you are asked an unexpected question or put under pressure.
Why is thinking on your feet important for Civil Servants?
Civil Servants regularly communicate with ministers, MPs, journalists, stakeholders, committees and members of the public. These conversations can involve challenging or unexpected questions with little time to prepare.
Can Civil Servants learn to think on their feet?
Yes. Thinking on your feet is a learnable communication skill. Practical techniques and repeated practice can help people respond with greater structure, clarity and confidence when they have little or no time to prepare.
What is Think on Your Feet®?
Think on Your Feet® is a two-day communication skills programme that teaches practical techniques for organising thoughts and communicating clearly when there is little or no time to prepare. Think on Your Feet® for the Civil Service is Government Campus approved.
Who is Think on Your Feet® for?
Think on Your Feet® is for anyone who needs to communicate clearly and confidently when speaking to another person – particularly when they are put on the spot, asked an unexpected question or challenged without time to prepare. It is relevant to anyone who briefs, advises, explains, influences, negotiates or handles difficult conversations as part of their role.
