I can't thank you enough for this post! I am in the process of helping a colleague prepare for a meeting with a funder (a task that's relatively new to me), and I am going to follow your suggestions as closely as possible! Thank you!
You're welcome, Jenny! I'm glad to hear that our timing is aligned.
I have seen so many benefits when grant seekers are strategic before, during, and after these meetings. For busy professionals, the time you spend really does pay off. Let's face it, 1:1 visits don't come around every day. Funders can see when potential grantees have invested the effort, and that reflects well on you and your organization. So count me in as a fan of creating meeting magic. Your colleague is lucky to have you as a guide!
An architect friend of mine has an undergraduate degree in literature. She jokes, "You'd think I'd be good a reading a room, but I'm not."
I love how you frame the preparation, opening, and closing for meetings. Good guidance for just about any meeting. And I was left wanting to know more about the middle. That's where I get stuck. In your experience, what are some ways you've prepared for the unexpected? What do you have ready that helps you adapt when you prepared for a Shakespearian sonnet but after reading the room you need Homer's Iliad (picking extremes to illustrate.)
I love your "extreme" examples, Gregory. They have become my reality on multiple occasions!
The most important lesson I have learned about mid-meeting pivots: avoid the pressure to respond to them as you would a more predictable conversation. It's so tempting to give a spontaneous response, but it results in a half-baked idea at best, or a stream of consciousness at worst. I have learned the importance of acknowledging information that qualifies as new, asking added questions, and admitting the need to consult with colleagues.
Mindset matters. There's no need to emerge from a meeting with a polished product. If your outcome is a deepened relationship and understanding, it's time well spent.
I can't thank you enough for this post! I am in the process of helping a colleague prepare for a meeting with a funder (a task that's relatively new to me), and I am going to follow your suggestions as closely as possible! Thank you!
You're welcome, Jenny! I'm glad to hear that our timing is aligned.
I have seen so many benefits when grant seekers are strategic before, during, and after these meetings. For busy professionals, the time you spend really does pay off. Let's face it, 1:1 visits don't come around every day. Funders can see when potential grantees have invested the effort, and that reflects well on you and your organization. So count me in as a fan of creating meeting magic. Your colleague is lucky to have you as a guide!
An architect friend of mine has an undergraduate degree in literature. She jokes, "You'd think I'd be good a reading a room, but I'm not."
I love how you frame the preparation, opening, and closing for meetings. Good guidance for just about any meeting. And I was left wanting to know more about the middle. That's where I get stuck. In your experience, what are some ways you've prepared for the unexpected? What do you have ready that helps you adapt when you prepared for a Shakespearian sonnet but after reading the room you need Homer's Iliad (picking extremes to illustrate.)
I love your "extreme" examples, Gregory. They have become my reality on multiple occasions!
The most important lesson I have learned about mid-meeting pivots: avoid the pressure to respond to them as you would a more predictable conversation. It's so tempting to give a spontaneous response, but it results in a half-baked idea at best, or a stream of consciousness at worst. I have learned the importance of acknowledging information that qualifies as new, asking added questions, and admitting the need to consult with colleagues.
Mindset matters. There's no need to emerge from a meeting with a polished product. If your outcome is a deepened relationship and understanding, it's time well spent.