How to Protect Your Verbal Conversations – Be Sure to Memorialize Them

After a conversation that take place during a meeting or even out in the hall much of the detail can be lost or forgotten. Then later when there is any disagreement or dispute, or just the need recall the detail, as to what was said or who said what or who deserves credit for an idea or any number of negative outcomes, you are left in a he said/she said dilemma. Because there is no validating the information anyone’s word is just a valid as anyone else’s.

Memorialization will protect you and everyone else from this maddening dilemma. To memorialize means to offer something---a document, an object, or an event---designed to preserve the memory of someone or something.

After almost any conversation be sure to synopsize your understanding of what was said, decided, and who is responsible for what. And then email your “reminder” of the conversation---your memorialization--- to all the relevant parties. This way you have a record of what was said and accomplished.

By doing this, you demonstrate leadership, forward vision, your grasp of the information, your sense of responsibility and care, and it protects you against anything negative that might come your way. We have heard many times the complaint of someone who originally offered a thought or a way of doing something and then some time later only to have that very same thing claimed by someone else who gets the credit for it.

When emailing add the following to the recipients in your own words;
“If you see any changes or additions to my understanding please be sure to contact me.”

By doing this you include what you may have missed or misunderstood and you respect the others who were present. When complete you have an accurate record of what transpired---or at least a record that has been affirmed and not challenged.

At those meetings where a note-taker is present, always ask for the notes:
? so you can see what was said an reported through the notes; and
? you can suggest any changes or additions as you see fit.

We’ve given this simple technique to many people and without exception they have returned to thank us.

(Photo Credit: Rosepetal236/Flicker.com)

Jim Sniechowski, PhD and his wife Judith Sherven, PhD https://JudithandJim.com have developed a penetrating perspective on people’s resistance to success, which they call The Fear of Being Fabulous. Recognizing the power of unconscious programming to always outweigh conscious desires, they assert that no one is ever failing. They are always succeeding. The question is, at what?

Currently working as consultants on retainer to LinkedIn providing executive coaching, leadership training and consulting as well as working with private clients around the world, they continually prove that when unconscious beliefs are brought to the surface, the barriers to greater success and leadership presence begin to fade away. They call it Overcoming the Fear of Being Fabulous. https://OvercomingtheFearofBeingFabulous.com