by Don Lowman, Towers Perrin
Some of the best meetings I have in business — whether they be with our clients or with the people who work with our firm — are the informal ones.
Although our hectic schedules don’t allow for too many unscheduled “drop by” meetings, these informal meetings typically have a subject line on the calendar that says “catch up” and the absence of a formal agenda allows for a pretty free-wheeling conversation.
What I like best about these meetings is that they feel more relaxed, I feel more open with my own thoughts, and I feel like I can connect on a different level than a more formal meeting seems to permit.
When was the last time your own boss stopped by for more than a few minutes just to catch up and to ask how things were going or to ask your opinion on a few issues he or she had been thinking about? When that happens with me, I know that my own engagement level goes up a lot, and I would bet you feel the same way when it happens with you.
And this in turn reminds me that I don’t do it enough with the people who report to me or, just as importantly, with people outside of my direct line of sight who I don’t often see. Make time in your schedule every week for a few of these meetings. They don’t take tons of time or preparation, but they can strengthen relationships and they definitely help build engagement.
And you will also find that you can get a better feel for what is really going on than formal meetings seems to produce.
