Who is your meeting ally?

This evening we're midway through a two day leadership meeting in Brussels. It's been a highly productive first day, focusing on the team itself and how it has evolved since the last workshop in 2022. Tomorrow we're focusing on strategic priorities and the job to be done in a complex and fast changing environment.

My reason for writing this post is to explain the importance of a "meeting ally". A meeting ally is someone who is there to help and support you as you design and plan your meeting - in essence, your "eyes, ears and hands" on the ground before you arrive at the venue.

As a facilitator for more years than I can remember I can assure you that all facilitators need a good meeting ally, especially when the meeting itself is to be held a distance away where it is difficult to make arrangements oneself.

I've had the great pleasure of working with Alexia Nisam as my meeting ally this week. Alexia has diligently supported me with the planning and execution of critical details including sharing a video of the meeting room so I can assess space, arranging the room so it is meeting ready, organising refreshments, and going beyond the call of duty today and helping construct a schedule for one to one conversations. Thank you Alexia!

Whether you're an "external" facilitator like myself, or regularly planning meetings within your own organisation, focus on cultivating productive and mutual relationships with all your meeting allies. You'll be immensely glad you did.