Created: 2023-11-13
I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on something that I've received comments for, a deficiency I see within professional settings, but don't have any true expertise to speak on; so take from it what you will.
Before most meetings I give myself a few minutes to think about the previous meeting, what's been completed or changed since then, what questions I have, and an idea of where to go next. I do most of this a day before the meeting, but I review those notes right before it, as I want to stay on point. This keeps me goal oriented. But between that I pick a few key points that may trigger an emotional response, topics that may require sensitivity such as discussing weak points of a product during a vendor call, and I rehearse how I want to segway into the topic.
Speaking with purpose isn't just goals or sticking to a topic, but communicating a message in a way that the message cannot be misinterpreted due to emotions or ego. Sometimes this may require holding back, staying quiet, when you realize the person you're communicating to is acting cornered. My goal is to speak with raw honesty, reserve strong language for situations that require it, don't shy from conflict, and provide openings for a rebuttal when challenging someone. In short, I overthink things before hand and moderate myself during.