You’ve prepared and analyzed, written and read and composed and rehearsed. You walk into the room ready for a solid,clear discussion The discussion begins and goes in a completely different direction.
Did you see this coming? Can you flex with it?
It has happened to all of us at one time or another: the misread meeting. There are things to do to prevent this from happening to you as well as things you can do after just such a meeting to prepare for the next meeting.
Prevention considers several things:
- Make sure expectations are set for the meeting and are clear before you get there and as you start the meeting.
- Listen during the meeting and respond carefully and clearly to the question or request on your feet.
- Do your homework and make sure the content is answering the questions you believe will be posed.
As for when it is happening and responding to a meeting that goes in a different direction than you expect:
- Take your notes and respond carefully in a recap, either verbal or in writing.
- Be open, listen and respond clearly on your feet. If you don’t know an answer, say “I’ll get back with a clear answer for you.”
- Be honest and polite.
How you respond reinforces your relationship with the people you are meeting with. If you have a knee-jerk reaction, you could be categorized in a way you don’t want to be. On the other hand, a quick, well-thought-out answer at the moment could work wonders.
Patience. Manners. Consistency. They all apply.
Relentless
