Blind-sided!

Ever been in a meeting, handled it as best you could and still came out fuming?

Meeting Scenario: I felt blind-sided. No notice, no agenda and no way out!

So I could start by saying that of course there should be time to prep and there should be an agenda but really that’s simply not the way life is sometimes so lets skip that. It was happening, end of.

“I’m always about performance, the result.” 

In this instance, that meant getting the best result for a key customer. A lack of information had created a tricky situation and we needed detail to sort it out. Somehow, it was being labelled a problem case rather than a case that simply needed clarification. I felt the label reflected badly on me but let it slide as it meant getting the result needed.  I confess this short term win felt like a medium term loss and a slight on my reputation.

• Was I right to have stayed focused on getting the customer result?
• Should I have challenged the label?
• What else could I have done to demonstrate leadership?

Learning: Move from General to Specific

On reflection, I think I shouldn’t feel as bad as I do. However, if it came up again I’d like to think I would probe further on the specific nature of the ‘problem’ to clarify what it was and therefore take it from the general to the specific. Even asking the question would move the focus from problem to solution along with possibly providing clarity. However, there is a risk that it would de-rail things and jeorpardise the result. What would you do? What have you done?

I’m interested in hearing your experience, solutions or thoughts so do share.

Psychology of Meetings: Effective Meetings Guide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmV6_fH5NkU