Meetings are prime stages to boost visibility and showcase strengths. Yet many talented managers stumble when it comes to preparing and steering these exchanges.
The higher you climb, the less your performance is measured by hands-on output and the more by your ability to display strategic thinking and highlight team results. As speaking skills outshine “doing”, seasoned experts can feel awkward about self-promotion.
During my years at an international HQ I observed colleagues from all over the world plus demanding executives who taught me precious methods. Now, as a coach, I support managers eager to raise their impact in meetings—and I keep seeing the same pitfalls.
This article condenses those lessons so you can turn each meeting into a moment that impresses bosses, peers and teams.
Summary
- Three questions before you start preparing
- Focused decks, coherent storyline
- High-level interventions to build stature
1 | Before you prep: three key questions
Routine meetings often degenerate into mechanical updates—KPIs, progress, small approvals—where nobody truly pays attention and senior leaders feel it’s a waste of time. The risk: no clear goal, no energy, no concrete outcome. You leave without advancing the project or demonstrating leadership.
Instead, ask yourself:
- What impact do I seek?
Impact ≠ formal result. You want approval of a sales plan (result), and you want executives to grasp how it serves corporate strategy (impact). - What story will I tell?
Start with the story arc (context → pivot → call-to-action), then select only the data that backs it. - What will key decision-makers look for?
Step into their shoes: which clarifications, which metrics? This anticipatory view refines your argument and spots missing pieces.
2 | Focused decks, one coherent message
Never just “update last month’s slides”. Without a narrative you accumulate superfluous numbers and slip into defensive mode.
Lead the discussion: open with the conclusion, then reasons, then actions. Examples:
| Scenario | Structure |
|---|---|
| Good news (e.g. successful launch) | Announce win → key factors → plan to scale/secure |
| Bad news (e.g. sales dip) | State drop → root causes → corrective actions → strategic angle |
| Market change (new competitor) | Describe shift → consequences → short-term response & strategic tweak |
This clarity projects you as a captain: whatever the weather, you keep course and outline the next move.
3 | High-level interventions to build stature
Systemic thinking—seeing the whole board—lets you speak at the right moment with strategic value.
Exercise: even in meetings where you’re not on the agenda, silently ask: “If I were the CEO, what question would I raise now?” Compare with what the CEO actually asks; over time you will absorb top-level reflexes.
Guidelines for powerful input:
- Strategy link. Show alignment—or warn of mismatch—with corporate direction.
- Challenge assumptions. “Is X the only driver? Could factor Y play a role?”
- Explain impact on your area. Clarify implications for resources, timing, risk.
- Bring field perspective. Add insights that broaden—not derail—the discussion.
Each meeting then becomes a gym to train strategic thinking, empathy and orchestration skills—while boosting efficiency and energy.
Further reads
- Nightmare meetings? Use time-and-flow management
- Do you need to “read the wind” to survive in global settings?
- Manager in a multinational: one person, many hats
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- Get an initial diagnosis of your situation
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- Clarify goals and expected results
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