Preparing a meeting and preparing yourself for a meeting are two different things.
That revelation came up for a client during a coaching session. It was quite a profound one for him and an excellent insight for me.
Preparing a meeting or a conversation carefully is fundamental. What do we want to talk about? What do we want to achieve? How? These are all valuable questions to ask before we meet with others. They can make a meeting effective and a conversation productive.
However, to make a meeting or conversation a remarkable experience, we must understand the difference between preparing the meeting and preparing ourselves for the meeting.
Preparing the meeting is about the what, essential things like goals, agenda, and logistics.
Preparing yourself for the meeting is about your mindset and approach. It's about deciding how you'll show up in the meeting. You can ask yourself: With what mindset will I join the space? What do I want to bring to the table? What skills do I want to practice?
While we often do the first (preparing the meeting), we don't take the time to do the second. Yet, it doesn't take much. Just for you to pause a moment before entering a meeting or conversation and ask yourself, how do I want to show up?
Imagine a skilled woodcutter. They don't just sharpen their axe (the meeting preparation); they also prepare themselves (your preparation) by focusing and positioning themself for a powerful swing.