The Perfect Gentleman Issue 1 - March 2016 | Page 27

Business Gentleman

The 7 Minute Meeting
by Zach Falconer-Barfield

Being a little flustered both in my tardiness
from the news, I rushed through all my stuff
and I was a little disjointed. The person was
This is the tale of the 7 minute meeting, that was openly hostile, demanding that they wanted to
know specifically what I wanted. Then without
the time from me entering the building to me
being back out on the street again. It was one of drawing breath they went onto say various
the strangest meetings of my business life and I things, including that they never wanted the
meeting and that the meeting was scheduled for
have had some weird ones.
a half hour earlier, which according to me it was
not. Concluding with the statement that ‘I had
After much of a ‘to do’, with many email
an attitude problem’. The person then
exchanges, multiple meeting cancellations on
both sides but mostly from my opposite number terminated the meeting by getting up and
walking out.
and months passing, I finally got scheduled a
meeting with this person.
Well on that note, I rose and as I left, sadly I
Now, it had been put in my diary by my PA, at lowered myself to their standards and said that
they had a bad attitude, as well. Which, in
the time, and I had double checked with her.
hindsight, was petty but I was now shocked.
Unfortunately, I had to squeeze in an urgent
meeting just before it, where I received some
shocking news. Therefore, I was running late, I From me entering reception and the PA
was flustered and to top it all off it was raining, collecting me, to being kicked out, the entire
encounter lasted less than 7 minutes. I walked
everything was conspiring against me. I ran to
get there, and ended up being ten minutes late.I out and left the building.
Later, this person emailed me, telling me they
waited outside, and then was rushed in to see
this person, being told by the assistant that I had never had a meeting like it and taking great joy
ten minutes. Now I had not expected that as we in pointing out that the meeting was scheduled
had been scheduled for about an hour, but tried for the time that they had stated (copying in the
PA to PA communication) and that I had
to compose myself.
requested the meeting and stating once again he
had not wanted it. I replied saying that I had not
I entered the room, immediately getting the
meant to cause offense and that it was the
feeling that I was certainly not welcome. I was
told, by the person once again that I had just ten weirdest meeting of my career to date too.
minutes. I apologized to them as I had done all
the way, from the receptionist, to the PA, to the There are many lessons to be learned from this
encounter and I hope I have learnt most of
person in question as soon as I entered, for
them. Suffice to say I have not had a meeting
being late.
like it since.
Here is a little cautionary tale about how things
can go exceptionally wrong.

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