Mastering Meetings: Be Prepared for 99% of What Can Happen

Dear Reader,

welcome to this week’s edition of Career Catalyst. In this edition I describe how to make sure you can be confident and professional in all meetings you attend. 

By following a simple three level process you will be to be ready for 99% of what can happen in a meeting.

But first a true story from my career.

How things can go wrong in a meeting (true story)

Another 12-hour day in the Rotterdam office. I have my head down over my laptop, frantically writing a status report for my boss, John. We are leading a massive IT project with over 900 colleagues from across Europe. 

We are two months in and it is really tough. Figuring out what is going on across this vast European team is a real struggle. Every day, hundreds of emails pour into my inbox — while I sit for hours in meetings.

Preparing this weekly status report is my job. But time is running out.  Only two hours to go before the weekly status meeting.

The report is as good as it can be. I send it to John by email and follow up with a text — making sure he knows it is in his inbox. 

Relieved, I grab a well-deserved coffee.

Fast-forward two hours. I cannot believe what I am seeing. John walked into the meeting empty-handed—no laptop, and no presentation. I gulp. It is a slow motion car crash. John thinks he can wing it.  But he can't answer the barrage of questions being fired at him. Fifteen minutes in, the client CEO orders John to go get his laptop. 

John leaves the room red-faced — an awkward silence descends on the room.

Feeling embarrassed for John, I swear I will never let this happen to me.

How do you avoid this sort of thing happening to you?

Here’s a proven, three-level approach to help you to be confident,  professional, and prepared for 99% of all eventualities in a meeting.

Level One: Always Be Prepared

Clarify the Meeting Objectives: Make sure you know why the meeting is happening. Are you there to decide, give an update, receive an update, or brainstorm ideas? Being clear on this helps you focus your preparation. 

Know Your Audience: Tailor your preparation to the people in the room. Anticipate what questions specific stakeholders might ask, or think about what’s most important to them in the context of the discussion.

Bring what you need: Bring your laptop, a clear presentation, or a report that summarizes the status of your work. Even if the meeting takes an unexpected detour, you’ll have the data or insights you need to speak with confidence. 

These three simple habits show professionalism and ensure you’re never caught empty-handed.

You will look better than many of your colleagues, who will not have done this preparation.

But things don't always go according to plan — let's look at Level Two.

Level Two: Anticipate Tough Questions

Before the meeting, take some time to think through potential questions—especially the difficult ones. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing I could be asked?”

Then prepare thoughtful, concise answers so you’re ready to respond calmly, regardless of what comes up. If you need to, have evidence ready to show. 

Whatever you do, don’t fumble around if you don't have the answer. Instead, move to Level Three.

Level Three: Be Ready for the Unknown

Every so often, no amount of preparation can cover everything. 

That’s why it’s smart to have a handful of rehearsed responses for situations where you don’t know the answer. Deploy standard, rehearsed phrases like “That’s a great question; let me circle back on that” or “I’ll need to review the data and follow up shortly”. This gives you confidence in these awkward moments, while buying you time to dig deeper later.

In Summary

Meetings can be very unpredictable. By following this three-level approach, you’ll be ready to handle 99% of anything that comes your way.

The next time you step into a meeting, you’ll have more than just answers—you’ll have confidence.

Thanks for reading. If you have an interesting meeting story feel free to share it in the comments section.

If this newsletter has been forwarded to you, and you’d like to receive future editions directly, you can subscribe here on my website. I’d love to have you join the Career Catalyst community.