“From New Recruit to High Flyer” : by Hugh Karseras
Always have an agenda prepared“Agendas are important becaus ethey set the scope and objectives of a meeting and focus the discussion towards them. Without an agenda, the meeting is just a chat, where little is achieved”
Warm up with the pleasantries “One of the most unfortunate aspects of the business world is that people get so focussed on their job that they forget to be human. Showing a genuine interest in the other person is very important in building an efficient network” Establish the time frame and stick to it “Even if you schedule a specific time slot, peoples’ diaries often shift or things come up, so its always worth checking how much time they have. If you need more time than is offered, schedule a follow up meeting or negotiate a longer time frame at the start of the meeting”
Use time checks “In social environments it is rude to look at your watch when talking to someone, but if you look at the time openly and say something like ‘I am conscious that we only have a few more minutes; perhaps we can focus on X or Y’, you will be respected for your professional courtesy and your constructive focus”
Conclude with a summary of agreed actions and next steps “A summary provides a natural wrap-up and ensures that all of you leave the meeting clear on actions and resposibilities. If you have taken good notes, it’s easy to glance through them and reel off the important items that require attention”