In this week's newsletter

• Tips for salvaging an unfocused meeting you don't run
• Warm-up and check-out questions you can use today
• Q: Should I just multitask through a poorly run weekly meeting?
• Relevant links
• Your weekly bird break

I recently became a strategic advisor for a nonprofit, working directly with the founder. One of our early calls was booked for 90 minutes. No agenda. No shared outcomes. No pre-read materials. I wanted to tread lightly - this org and founder were new relationships for me. I didn’t want to come in from the outside acting like I know everything. And in this case, I literally didn’t even know enough context about priorities to propose a sketch of an agenda.

After some initial updates and meandering discussion, I asked this question:

“We have 60 minutes left together today. What would be most helpful to walk away with at the end of our meeting?”

After they shared, I reflected back:

“So what I’m hearing is, it would be most helpful to end this meeting with an onboarding plan outline.”

After they clarified, I asked:

“What have you done so far?”

Then I made a suggestion for how we might spend our time, aligned with the founder’s goals. We dug in for the rest of the call and left with a document drafted and clear next steps.

I often write about how important it is to prepare for meetings with intention - and most times that’s true. But even when we can’t prepare, it’s still possible to have a focused and intentional meeting.

Here's the three-step move you can try next time you're in an unfocused meeting:

Meeting Minute

​Warm-up question​

Puts people in the mindset that many “problems” aren’t actually that big and allows for a moment of levity.

Tip: it can be helpful to go first to model the kind of problem you want shared. For example: my smallest problem today is I only have one charging base with me, but many different cords and devices that need charging! 🤷🏻‍♀️

​Check-out question​

This rounds out the meeting with a positive reflection and gives you good data on what to keep doing in the future. Works one-on-one and in groups.

Q: I have to attend a long weekly meeting and it isn't run well. The person who leads it is not receptive to feedback. What can I do? Should I just multitask the whole time?

A: This is a tough situation and, unfortunately, it’s common. It can be very tempting to multitask (I speak from a lot of experience 🫣), though doing so is often more noticeable than you think and it increases mistakes and mental fatigue. Instead, there are a few options to consider if feedback for the meeting leader is truly off the table. Pick one option to experiment with and go from there.

Before the meeting, ask the person organizing it:

• Could you share a bit more about the role you want me to play in the room? I want to make sure I’m prepared.

OR

• What can I review in advance to ensure I’m prepared for the discussion?

These questions can work because they subtly signal that preparation matters, they might spur some intentionality on the leader's part, and hopefully you get information to prepare.

Even if they say "no prep needed” or "just be there and chime in," at least you've shown that you're thinking ahead and want to be intentional about this time.

While you may not run the meeting, do you ever bring topics to it?

If so, that is an opportunity to model the level of preparedness you want others to bring. Modeling it won’t guarantee it will catch on, but it is even less likely to catch on without planting any seeds.

Consider if you want to lead it or propose rotating leadership.

This one depends on the dynamics. It works best if the organizer is more stretched thin than actively resistant. Perhaps running this meeting with intention is not something the organizer wants to do or has time for and they would welcome giving someone else the opportunity.

You might position it as a professional development opportunity for you and others. As a bonus, this framing lets you advocate for a change without having to give direct feedback on how the meeting is being run.

And if none of those feel possible right now, try asking yourself: “What can I still get out of this time?”

• Reps making my voice heard in a tough environment
• Build relationships with other colleagues in the meeting
• Pay attention to how my direct report shows up and coach them after
• More insight into how the meeting leader thinks and prioritizes topics
• Practice staying calm and composed in the face of frustration

Relevant Links

📚 The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier - a few of the questions in today's issue were inspired by questions in this book. It's a quick read and quite good!

📝 Full 2025 study on the impact of multitasking while on video calls. As a recovering Zoom call multitasker, the conclusions were tough to read!