As a lead adviser I am currently involved in about 17 live transactions, have five active mentoring relationships, sit on six boards as a non exec, and on two as an exec. Plus am just in the final stages of my fourth book and about to start my fifth. Just a tad busy!
Each and every client must believe they are number one. The trouble is some meetings can be so, so boring. I am no women’s libber, absolutely not, nor am I a hardened feminist, but I do find, by and large, it’s often my male colleagues and associates who do not get to the point. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve witnessed the dancing-round-the-table routine at meetings. My own style is to get straight to the point (politely, naturally) – the fact is, I have another 1,001 things to get through. Sometimes this goes down well but, I admit, I have been accused of being abrupt. To avoid being seen as rude, I have learned a few simple rules that allow the meetings to stay on focus. These don’t work for impromptu meetings. But for more formal settings such as negotiation and board meetings, they work well for me. 1) Have a clear pre-issued agenda that all parties have agreed upon. 2) Allocate time to each item. This stops people running away with things and critical items not being given sufficient air time. 3) Make sure you have a good chair that controls the debate in the appropriate manner. 4) Take and retain minutes. Allocate responsibility for each action. 5) Prevent meeting saboteurs by banning AOB. If you must have this, put it at the start of the meeting agenda. Finally, and above all, don’t be hostile. It rarely has long term benefits and is perceived by others as juvenile at best. Jo Haigh is head of corporate finance for Corporate Finance Services. She can be contacted on 01274 868 958/07850 475878 or at Jo.haigh@corpfinservices.co.uk
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.