How do you know you’ve had a good meeting?
Lots of theories on this, of course.
My bias? I always want to achieve three things:
- An action for you – make sure you have an action – which both you and they agree with – that you will take, to drive things forward
- An action for them – make sure they have an action – which both you and they agree with – that they will take, to drive things forward
- Date of next meeting – before you end Meeting #1, agree the date of Meeting #2, and schedule it in both your diaries. So, do this DURING Meeting #1. This means you won’t be ghosted/forgotten… (Also – top tip: ask them what they want you to call Meeting #2 in their diary – this often means they are more committed to it!)
And that’s it.
And two little hints to ensure you always achieve all three:
- Say ‘I’m conscious of time’ ten minutes before the end. This gives you time to agree all three (MUCH better than a frantic rush with 30 seconds to go!)
- To maximise the chance of Meeting #2 (1) happening (2) effectively, send a short note 2-3 days before it – “I’m looking forward to our meeting on Xday. As promised, I‘ve already done my action of X. I’m looking forward to progressing things with you then” etc
Action Point
Next meeting:
- Ten minutes before the end, say “I’m conscious of time”
- Nail all three outcomes
- Read this for more help