The Connection Diaries, Ep. 2: Our big meeting has been cancelled – now what?

We just cancelled our big meeting – now what?

We’ve been having this conversation with many of our clients over the past few weeks, and it has been helpful to acknowledge that a meeting is simply one method for accomplishing targeted results that are aligned with a purpose. While circumstances may have changed, it’s possible that there is still a way to accomplish what the meeting was meant to.

If you are facing this same issue, there are two primary questions we suggest you consider:

1. What was the purpose of the event or meeting to begin with? Does that purpose still hold true in today’s circumstances?

2. What were the intended outcomes? What results were you trying to get? Are those results still critical for your business right now?

The answers to these questions can vary, but if the purpose still holds true and the timing of the results you were looking for is still critical, there are plenty of alternative methods to in-person meetings that you can explore.

We have been working with our clients to design virtual gatherings and experiences that can accomplish the results they need. You can find some of our suggested guidelines for moving your meetings to a virtual environment here, and we will be sharing even more of our thoughts on this topic in the coming weeks. For now, here are a few of the things we believe are most

• Use your video! It may feel uncomfortable, but the simple act of turning your video on for calls establishes a much stronger connection with those you are talking to.
• Be thoughtful about who MUST be involved in the meeting. In a virtual setting, it’s important to consider who is truly critical for the conversation, because it can be more challenging to manage with a large group of people. Some conversations may be appropriate for a broader audience, and there are plenty of technical tools that can facilitate that. For the most critical, however, put thought into who is included and why.

If you need a partner in figuring out how best to move forward, please connect with us – we would love to help.

Join us later this week for a live conversation on this topic and how we’ve been approaching it with clients. You can register here.

We will continue to explore this question and many others related to how we stay connected and keep creating value in challenging circumstances, so stay tuned for future episodes of The Connection Diaries and sign up for our newsletter, where we will share more resources and reflections over the coming weeks.

If you and your community have been having inspiring conversations and ideas about how to navigate the COVID-19 reality, we would love to hear about them! Please comment below or connect with us on LinkedIn. Let’s unleash our collective brilliance.