Meetings for Introverts: Part Three
If you’re just joining us, I’m in the middle of a series about meetings for the introverted and/or socially anxious among us. To recap, I’m trying to solve three concerns you may have before joining a meeting.
- I’m going to run into some technical issues that will be embarrassing.
- I’ll get asked a question that I can’t answer.
- The information I present will be received poorly.
Today we’re going to talk about the problem that faces a lot of bookkeepers. Actually, it affects anyone presenting to people in a different industry or department.
The Information I Present Will Be Received Poorly
Let’s imagine that we’re having a meeting with another department in our clients’ company. It could be sales or HR, but it’s not the usual group where you share the monthly financials.
- Office is set up perfectly - check
- Agenda has been reviewed - check
- Support materials handy - check
- Didn’t fall out of chair - check
- Didn’t speak for 2 mins straight on mute - check
The only thing left is to present your report.
You share your screen to reveal the analysis you’ve put together. As you start walking through the three tabs of Excel data, you feel the room’s collective eyes glaze over. They had expected a brief summary with a chart or two, and you’ve handed over the chalkboard from Good Will Hunting.
This was not what they were expecting, and this whole meeting was a waste of everyone’s time.
How can we avoid this before it happens? Here are a few simple tips.
Determine the Goal of the Meeting Up Front
We get asked to put together so many reports, we can sometimes take the request for granted. You are asked to “look into payroll costs last quarter” and before they’ve finished the sentence you nod and walk away. You’re sure you know what they meant and you just want to get onto the next task. No time to waste.
In the off-chance you’re not omniscient, here are some things to do next time.
Ask lots of questions
“Look into payroll costs last quarter” is the kind of thing I get asked quite often. And, of course, I know what they were asking, and the client knows that I know exactly what they meant. Right?
I have confused too many people in too many meetings with this terrible assumption.
Ask them to spell out the exact question they want you to answer.
“I would like to see how much we spent on our support staff last quarter, and compare it against industry averages.”
Is a lot different than:
“I just need to know how much we spent on our payroll processing fees last quarter. I think we’re going to switch providers.”
Those aren’t even in the same ballpark, but they are both discussing payroll costs last quarter.
Clarify your role
Have you ever gone into a meeting thinking you were just there to observe, and then discover you were expected to lead the discussion?
Or my go-to is spending all night gathering data and then finding out I just needed to answer a simple question 5 minutes before the meeting wraps up.
When you’re asking your clarifying questions, make sure one of them is about your role. This ties into our discussion last week about reviewing the agenda. If one is available, ask for a copy so you can determine how much of the meeting will be devoted to your work.
Determine the Best Method of Delivery
Even if you are all clear on the language and the meeting’s goal, you could still end up with a 20-minute crawl through a spreadsheet that only you enjoy.
Find out how other information is presented at similar meetings.
If possible, ask to see a copy of the last report they reviewed at a similar meeting. If it’s one page of charts and zero rows of formulas...take the hint. Just because we like skipping past the charts to see how the data was compiled doesn’t mean anyone else will.
Also, don’t assume it will be simpler, either. You might believe your 3-tabbed spreadsheet is overkill, and then find out they usually put together a 10-page report.
Finally, the method of delivery could mean your presentation style as much as the information itself. If it’s a very serious environment, maybe don’t lead with your famous dirty limerick. Of course, it’s just as embarrassing to be the only one without one ready.
Final Thoughts
Some people reading this series just won’t get it. They walk into meetings, and everyone is immediately drawn to them. They command attention and seem to always have their, uh, stuff, together. And then they leave the meeting feeling recharged and ready to move to the next one.
A small part of me hates them, but that’s for me to sort out.
This series is for those who feel that way about spreadsheets, but maybe not so much about public speaking. These posts aren’t going to solve the introversion. They will, hopefully, make you feel more prepared for your next call. And if that preparation makes you feel even a bit more at ease, then my work here is done.
Please let me know your thoughts. If you feel the same way, and have learned a few tips of your own, I’d love to hear from you.
