I was chatting with a team member of a consulting firm who said that because his organization focused on innovation, it was absolutely necessary to clearly articulate his ideas. His problem: he often found himself struggling when approached in the hall by the head of another department or a senior executive. For him, it is much easier to speak in front of a large group than to master the “water cooler” vignette. He felt that larger venues allowed time for preparation and added that, “The impromptu meetings really catch you off guard.”