I remember staring at the cursor blinking on my laptop screen.
The report had been pending for three days. Not because it was difficult. Not because I didn’t know what to write.
I had already written it twice in my head.
Still, I found myself arranging files, replying to unimportant messages, wiping the desk. Moving, but not moving forward.
I told myself I needed better clarity. A quieter moment. The right mood.
All gentle lies.
Walls serve the purpose of a border, a structure for bearing the weight of what may come later. Walls create tribes, silos and gated communities. Opportunity for something precious to breed in secret.
Bridges try bringing tribes together. Help preserve the purpose of sharing and caring beyond boundaries. Opportunity to collaborate, optimise effort and maximise benefits.
Every meeting is an opportunity. Either to build a wall to safe-guard or a bridge to expand. If you feel threatened, you raise the wall. If you are in a mood to expand, you add a few more tiles to the bridge. If you have nothing to offer, there’s little you can earn through meetings. Every dull meeting is a wasted opportunity.
You are busy every hour of the day. When meetings occupy your day, you tend to delegate. First step towards building a wall in place of a bridge. Person attending on your-behalf is there to safe-guard. That’s what they believe. People on the other-side think the same. Purpose served. The wall gets its height. More job for the organiser to get them up-to-speed and later to manage the damage. When you step-in for what you are, walls get broken and bridges emerge. Less job of breaking. More for the making. Good for all.
When you delegate, make sure you delegate decision-making not attendance. Choose those who know the art of building bridges to represent you, your company and the purpose. Not those who can take notes and pass-it-on.
If you are the one organising, you know what to do. Get those who’s required. Say no to their virtual twins. If you are representing someone else, make sure you know why you are there. Prepare well and contribute to building bridges. You move-up and become remarkable.
Every meeting is an opportunity. Build a wall or a bridge. Not one in place of the other!