How did you make them feel?
When planning a meeting with policy makers the focus tends to be on the overall topic and the messages.
But do you ever stop to think about how much they can digest in a meeting, and what emotional tone you want to set?
Recently I was reminded of the famous quote by Maya Angelou: " People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel". Most people would think of this in terms of interactions in their personal lives, but I think it plays a huge role when you engage in the external environment as a lobbyist.
If you are going into a meeting that you expect to be contentious, how will you set a tone and at minumim get to a point of mutual respect?
If you are going into a meeting you would like to result in action, how will you set the tone of mutual commitment and ownership of the outcome?
Yes, part of this is about laying out your issue in a clear and concise way, but it is also about framing it around the interests of the person you are meeting, understanding what they care about, what success means for them, and keeping in mind that what is right and wrong will differ depending on perspective.
So how do you do this?
It starts with being curious about understanding yourself and others. There are multiple frameworks you can apply that can help, none of them are perfect, but they are good starting points.
I help clients globally develop win-win Government Affairs Strategies anchored in business priorities, underpinned by relevant KPIs and implementation measures. Curious to know more? Send me an email to [email protected]
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I help businesses leverage AI for scalable digital marketing growth | Project Manager at PEAKONTECH
2 个月Karen, your insights on setting the right tone in meetings are invaluable. The ability to foster mutual respect, even with adversaries, is a true testament to effective communication. I'm looking forward to your newsletter and learning more from your expertise!
Leadership & Executive Coach / Thinking Partner / Building Confidence in Leaders and Teams
2 个月Well said Karen - I use Think-Feel-Do as my framework. Seasons Greetings!
Executive Advisor, Global Governments and Organizations at International Creative Enterprises
2 个月A great post, Karen! I approached an extremely important situation on Capitol Hill in the exact same way and proved that finding common ground and sharing a successful outcome, not only for the parties at the table but for their constituents, is a win-win-win!!! Thousands and thousands of new jobs and billions of dollars to provide help for people nationally :-)