This Skill Sharpener summarizes what most leaders expect in review meetings, and how you can best prepare for them. It also answers a question that was asked by a senior manager who recently attended a Discover Your Best Thinking with Precision Q+A workshop: “Sometimes I say ‘That’s a great question’ before I answer questions. Should I be more direct and just answer?”
It depends on whether you are in a review meeting or a collaborative problem-solving meeting. Read on to learn more about review meetings. For our advice in the context of collaborative problem-solving meetings, click here to read last month’s Skill Sharpener.
What is Expected?
Review meetings include project meetings, status meetings, Board of Directors meetings, and other meetings where we brief management about the business or project that we are leading.
During review meetings, we are expected to present well-honed, finished thinking. We are expected to be ready to:
- Deliver a brief, easy-to-follow executive summary that distills our key points.
- Clearly and concisely answer questions that may be asked.
- Ask for what we need.
“That’s a great question” usually means something like “I hadn’t thought of that before” or “Give me a second to form a clear response.” If you’ve honed and finished your thinking in advance of your review, the odds are good that you won’t find yourself saying things like this. You will have thoroughly explored the most vital terrain of your business issue, and little will catch you by surprise.
How Do I Finish My Thinking?
The quality of your preparation will make a huge difference in the outcome of your presentation, so take the time to finish your thinking before your next review. Here’s how:
| Review Activity | Preparation |
|---|---|
| Summary of key points |
|
| Answer questions |
|
| Ask for what you need |
|
If you do this, and you wind up receiving a particularly insightful or interesting question that prompts you to see your issue differently or expand your point of view, what then?
It’s perfectly fine to affirm the question before you answer, as long you do so in a manner that fits your situation. For example, if you are meeting with your manager, executive, or Board of Directors and “that’s a great question” feels awkward or could come across as patronizing or artificial, then consider simply pausing or saying “Interesting” or “Hmmm” instead. In the end, what most leaders want from you is your best thinking. Focus on giving them that and the rest will take care of itself.
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