Manager Tools

How To Prewire a Meeting - Part 1 (Hall of Fame Guidance)

27 min

This episode of Manager Tools explains the concept of 'pre-wiring' a meeting, which involves briefing attendees before the actual presentation to secure agreement and avoid surprises. The hosts outline why pre-wiring is essential, especially for presentations to higher-ups, and provide introductory steps including knowing your time limit, the room layout, using one slide per five minutes, and aiming for a 'slam dunk.' Part 1 focuses on these foundational principles, setting up for part 2 on key steps.

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✨ Key Takeaways

1

Pre-wiring is the process of talking to meeting attendees in advance to ensure agreement, making the actual presentation a formality and a 'slam dunk.'
2

The typical scenario involves briefing your boss's boss and their directs, where stakes are higher and you lack the familiarity you have with your direct boss.
3

Time limits are critical: if you're given 15 minutes, you must fit your entire presentation into that slot, and the worst outcome is running out of time before delivering your key message.
4

For a 30-minute presentation, use no more than six slides (one slide per five minutes), as senior executives don't want every detail—the presentation is you, not your slides.
5

The goal is no surprises and getting agreement from all attendees, which often means the meeting itself might even be cancelled if pre-wiring is done perfectly.

💬 Notable Quotes

"The presentation is not your slides. The presentation is you."
"The only way you can get a slam dunk where there are no disagreements and no surprises from the audience is if you pre-wire all of the attendees before the meeting ever occurs."
"If you can't talk without slides or notes for five minutes, then you don't know your material well enough."