Last week, Kara coached Carl, a leader who was getting ready for a working group meeting. It was the group’s first opportunity to meet after their kickoff, and a critical moment to move the group from idea to action. Carl was concerned that people would be reluctant to contribute and then he’d be left alone to do the work without the crucial input from his stakeholders. What Carl needed was some space to get clear on the desired outcomes of his meeting, think through how he was going to run it, and make sure everyone was set up to contribute meaningfully. By the end of the session, Carl felt ready. You can’t prepare to the same degree for all your meetings. Sometimes all you can do is make sure you have a Zoom link attached to the calendar invite. But for high-stakes moments, the discussions that truly matter and require input from others, you need to go further and approach them strategically. That is one of the clearest ways you demonstrate leadership.
One of the most frustrating things Stephanie and Kara experience is facing a meeting on their calendar with a vague title and no agenda. Or (let’s be honest, it’s not much better) the laundry list of topics masquerading as an agenda. When looking at these meetings, Stephanie and Kara don’t know what’s expected of them, how to prepare, nor what the point of the meeting is at all. But… although we’re all victims of this workplace crime… we’re also the perpetrators. Just last week Kara titled a meeting “Storytelling Kickoff” that didn’t have an agenda. Stephanie created a calendar invite titled “Call with Lynette.” It too, had no agenda. We were both invited to a blank “Connect.” Stephanie even registered for a webinar months ahead of time, but when the day came, the calendar invitation title was “Webinar” with no description or agenda, so of course she didn’t attend.
Recently, a product manager came to Kara looking for coaching on her storytelling skills and presentation delivery. When Kara asked what was behind the need, the client shared that she often has high-stakes moments with leadership where she needs to secure critical resources, like headcount. These conversations have serious implications for her team and her product’s success. She knows her data inside and out. The decision she wants to recommend to her executives feels clear to her. She’s prepared… but when she walks into the meeting, her data doesn’t land, and her arguments fall flat. She knows this because leadership asks questions like: What does this number mean? How do you know? They aren’t seeing the context, the “so what,” or how her data fits into the bigger picture of the business.
Stephanie and Kara both learned early in our professional lives that follow-through matters. As students at Michigan Ross School of Business, it was drilled into us: after an interview, send a thoughtful thank-you note that references the conversation. It was presented as a way to stand out and be polite… a nice finishing touch to remember you by. But although a thank you is polite, it doesn’t build momentum.