If you’re lucky, you may achieve enough recognition that your reputation always precedes you—but until then, some people won’t have a clue about what you can offer. Ensure new contacts are aware of your expertise by sending a letter of introduction before a meeting: “I’m looking forward to speaking with you about topic X. My background regarding X is as follows...” This establishes your authority before you step in the room—a strategic move, because the same information conveyed face-to-face can seem boastful. After the meeting, if you suspect your audience hasn’t fully grasped your potential, don’t push it: Recognize that they’ll need to discover your value for themselves. If the relationship is worth cultivating, keep in touch with periodic updates about your progress (“just thinking of you, since I recently spoke at the XYZ conference”).
Adapted from "Don't Let Them Underestimate You"" by Dorie Clark.
Adapted from "Don't Let Them Underestimate You"" by Dorie Clark.
If you’re lucky, you may achieve enough recognition that your reputation always precedes you—but until then, some people won’t have a clue about what you can offer. Ensure new contacts are aware of your expertise by sending a letter of introduction before a meeting: “I’m looking forward to speaking with you about topic X. My background regarding X is as follows...” This establishes your authority before you step in the room—a strategic move, because the same information conveyed face-to-face can seem boastful. After the meeting, if you suspect your audience hasn’t fully grasped your potential, don’t push it: Recognize that they’ll need to discover your value for themselves. If the relationship is worth cultivating, keep in touch with periodic updates about your progress (“just thinking of you, since I recently spoke at the XYZ conference”).
Adapted from "Don’t Let Them Underestimate You" by Dorie Clark.
Adapted from "Don’t Let Them Underestimate You" by Dorie Clark.
When someone derails a meeting, it’s easy to assume that they’re the problem and the solution is to rein them in—but your assumptions may also be off-track. For smoother meetings, try these techniques:
Adapted from "Dealing with Team Members Who Derail Meetings,"" by Roger Schwarz.
- Define what will be covered. If your team doesn’t explicitly agree on the meeting’s purpose and topic, interpretations will differ. Start your meeting by saying something like, “My understanding of the purpose of this meeting is X; does anyone have a different understanding, or think we need to add anything?”
- Take a breath before a new topic. To reduce the chance that people will reintroduce issues that have been fully discussed, ask if anyone has something to add before moving on to a new topic.
- Make fresh connections. If you’ve agreed on what to discuss and someone still seems off-track, ask her to explain how the topics are related. You might learn of a correlation that you hadn’t considered; if so, let the team decide whether to explore the idea now or, if it’s unrelated but still important, at a future meeting.
Adapted from "Dealing with Team Members Who Derail Meetings,"" by Roger Schwarz.